Prince Of Blood
by Queen Of Dead Hearts
Summary: You could know someone your entire life and you think you know everything about them. But then one day you realize the guy your in love with is really a vampire.
1. Don't Trust Me

**_"Don't Trust Me"_**

"Honey, time to wake up!"

I rolled over and covered my head with the pillow. I was too tired for school. I was too tired for anything. It was six o'clock in the morning for Christ's sake. How the hell was I expected to be fully functional when the sun was too lazy to even get up this early? It was insanity.

"Honey!" her voice came again. I groaned. 'Honey' didn't want to get up now. 'Honey' was too tired to go to school. 'Honey' would like to tell you to go to hell.  
"Honey! Are you up?" came that voice again.

"Yeah!" I called. _Go to hell you damn morning person.  
_Groggily, I rolled out of bed and fell onto the floor, tangled up in my sheets. I kicked my legs free and stumbled over to my closet. I grabbed a pair of ripped skinny jeans and a black _Hollywood Undead _t-shirt off their hangers. I got changed and went into my bathroom.

I brushed my teeth and splashed some cold water on my tan and exhausted looking face. I winced as I brutally pulled my brush through my dark curls. Once my hair was presentable I outlined my baby blues in dark eyeliner. After that I shuffled back into my room and shoved my feet into my converse and slung my bag over one shoulder. I glanced at my digital clock and realized I was running late.

I ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time.I skidded into the kitchen and, as expected, my mom, dad, and older brothers were in the kitchen. My mom was cleaning up the counter from making breakfast and my dad was flipping through the paper. Jake and Ken were scarfing down eggs at the table. _Boys_, they eat _so_ much. It was miracle my parents and I hadn't starved to death.

"Morning Becky," Jake said smugly. He knew I hated that nickname.  
"Don't make me snap your neck," I threatened.

"You know for an emo you inflict more pain on others then yourself," Jake muttered.  
"Jake," my mom rebuked.

I snickered; suck on _that _pretty boy_. _  
"Honey, do you want any eggs?" my mom asked.

"No, I'm going to Kate's house . . . I'll eat there," I said.  
"Alright," my mother said, "Will you being going to the Kardigan's after school too?"

"Assuming that today is like every other day, yes" I said. Seriously though; I went over Kate's house everyday, why would today be any different? Was the pope coming by for tea?  
"Well make sure you and Kate actually get your homework done instead of goofing off all afternoon," my mom said.

"We will. You know Kate's like a genius," I reminded her.  
"That's not all she is," Jake said, smirking as Ken snickered.  
"Stay away from my freinds," I snapped.

"You know it's a mystery to me why the hottest girl in school is best friends with you," Jake said.  
"You know what else is a mystery" I retorted, "How you can get dressed in the morning."

"Children, stop fighting. Now, Jake, leave your sister alone and eat your breakfast. You're gonna be late. And Becca, you get going. And tell Mrs. Kardigan I said hi," my mom told us.  
"Okay" I said "Bye."

I walked out the front door and began the walk to the Kardigans house. It was a little cold out, but perfectly typical for October in New York. People waved to me as they passed me on the street and I waved back, sometimes. Some people didn't deserve a wave. It didn't take me long to reach the Kardigans humongous house. Seriously though, it was freakin' massive. The Kardigan's were mad rich, like legit. They're house looked like it came straight off one of those home decorator magazines, what with it's greek columns and white stone it looked like it belonged next door to the Parthenon.

I just walked right in; I didn't knock or anything. I had been here every day since I was six. The Kardigans considered me a second daughter. I was practically family and family didn't knock to enter their own house. I knew immediately that Kate was in the kitchen, I could smell the blueberry pancakes the second I entered the house. I waltzed into the stainless steel, very fancy, kitchen to find Kate sitting at the table with a plate of untouched pancakes in front of her.

Kate was beautiful. I wasn't a lesbo or anything but it was impossible _not _to notice how stunning she was. She was dainty and small; one of those petite little girls that guys always went crazy for. She had long blonde hair that reached down to her tiny waist. Her bone pale skin was flawless and looked like porclain. She had plump pink lips, a perfect nose, and big eyes that were the strangest color of silver and darkly lashed. She wore skinny jeans and a grey zip-up _Hollister _sweatshirt.

At first sight we didn't look like we should be friends because I mean, c'mon, she looks like a total prep. But in this case, appearances were actually wrong. Kate and I practically shared a brain and we'd been best friends since we met in first grade. Her mom, Mrs. Kardigan, was cooking. She looked like she was in her mid thirties with long blonde hair and was thinner then any mom should be.

"Hi, Becca," she greeted me.  
"Hi, Mrs. Kardigan," I answered, "Whats for breakfast today?"

"Blueberry pancakes, your favorite," she grinned. Blueberry pancakes were my pot. Actually, pot was my pot. Blueberry pancakes were my crack.  
"Excellent," I purred as I sat down across from Kate. Mrs. Kardigan brought me a syrupy plate of pancakes and I dug in. Kate didn't touch hers but it didn't surprise me. The girl was so damn skinny it didn't surprise me that she hardly ever ate anything.

I was just about done, and I was gonna tell Kate we should go when Austin walked in; Kate's gorgeous twin brother. He was much taller then Kate but you could tell they were related. He had the same golden hair, pale skin, and silver eyes as his twin. On top of those already nice features, he had an amazing body and a gorgeous face. Not to mention an amazing personality, just as sarcastic and dismissive as me. What more could a girl ask for?

"Morning mom," he said in a voice like honey, as he went over to the fridge and dug around in it.  
"I see somebody finally decided to wake up," Kate said sarcastically.

"I didn't decide to wake up. Someone just happened to throw a clock radio at my head about ten minutes ago," Austin retorted sarcastically.  
"I know you don't think it was me, brother dearest," Kate said with mock innocent.

Austin closed the fridge, and turned to face us with his perfect lips in the shape of a smirk. He had two blue sports bottles in his hands and threw one to Kate as he rolled his eyes. She caught it effortlessly and opened it to guzzle some down. Austin did the same.

"Well, I had to wake you up somehow. 'Cause if you didn't come I would have to drvie us. . . " Kate trailed off mischeviously.  
"Hey," Austin said, "Don't touch my Mercedes"

"I'm not gonna touch your beloved car _but_ if you continue sleeping in, one day I might have to. If I can't wake you up that is. You do sleep like the dead," Kate said smirking.  
Something about it made me feel like I was missing some kind of inside joke. I hated that feeling.

Austin smirked, "Be that as it may, don't touch my car"  
"Okay, okay," Kate said, "Chill out. I was just teasing you"

Austin sat down next to me at the table. Not eating, just drinking and talking.

"So Becca," he said, "Why does it feel like you spend more time in my house then I do?"  
"Ugh, maybe cause you're never home?" Kate suggested sarcastically.

"I have a very active social life. Is that a crime?" Austin asked rhetorically.  
"And by 'active social life' you mean entertaining your many lovers?" I asked.

He smiled, revealing all of his ultra-white teeth, "Exactly"  
Kate rolled her eyes and took another swigg from her water bottle.

"We gotta get going," Austin said, glancing at the clock on the oven, "Or we're gonna be late again. I wouldn't care usually, but I'm tired of Mrs. What's-Her-Name chewing me out every day." He hadn't even attempted to have any breakfast. Austin ate a surprisingly small amount of food for a teenage boy (a quarterback nonetheless!) but I was used to it.

"Okay, Okay. God, can we eat?" Kate asked, even though she hadn't even touched her food.  
"You _can_," Austin said, "But somehow I doubt you will."

She rolled her eyes as she gathered up her books. I picked up my bookbag too, and headed for the door.  
"Bye Mrs. Kardigan!" I called at the same time that Kate called, "Bye Mom!"

"Bye girls," she called back, "Have a nice day." We paused at the door, waiting for Austin. He grabbed his keys off the table and slung his bag over his shoulder.  
"Bye Mom," he said as he passed her.

"Wait," she said, pulling him into a hug. Even though he was facing away from me, I knew for a fact that he was rolling his eyes.  
"Bye baby," she said, releasing him.

"Bye Mom," he said again, in a voice that suggested that she should really _stop talking. _She simply smiled and disappeared into the Kardigan's living room. Kate and I continued to wait by the door while Austin put his favorite grey "Cold Spring Hawks" sweatshirt on over his _"Three Days Grace" _t-shirt.

"C'mon _baby, _we don't have all day," I said mockingly. Mrs. Kardigan always seemed to baby Austin, even though he was only the baby of the family by like a minute. Kate was a minute older and there older brother, Alex, was like five years older and in college. Still, Austin was usually regarded as Mrs. Kardigan's favorite, it seemed like.

"Get bent Callaway," he told me.  
"Right back at 'cha Kardigan," I said as we all headed out the door and into the Kardigan's driveway. Three cars were settled there; a black mercedes, a silver crossover, and a 50's mustang in mint condition.

Austin slid into the front seat of his Mercedes, and me and Kate climbed in back. We preferred to sit together so we could talk, or more precilesly gossip. And when we were done gossiping, we were saying stupid things and making references to _Spongebob. _Austin shot us indulgent smiles with the mirror every tme we said something really out there. He'd been giving us that smile since the first time I came over the Kardigan's in first grade.

It was a smile that said _"You guys are crazy but I love you two, anyway" _That smile always floored me. Austin's general presence always floored me actually.  
His looks, his voice, his sense of humor, his attitude. Everything about him screamed _"Notice me!" ""Love me" "Don't trust me!" "Have sex with me!"_

I definitely noticed him, and sometimes I thought that maybe, just maybe, I loved him. And sometimes I felt like I really didn't trust him either. He was my good friend, but he had that whole bad boy thing going for him. But I definitely wasn't having sex with him. I'd leave that last part to the cheerleading squad and all the other girls Austin screwed with. Currently, he was screwing Julie Manderson, his latest girlfriend. I didn't like her, because she was just a total conceded bitch. It also could have something to do with the fact that she's getting laid with the guy I'm possibly in love with. It didn't matter though, Austin got a new girlfriend like every two months. It seemed like he got bored easily.

Kate was exactly the same way. She always had a boyfriend, except she keeps hers around longer then Austin. They tended to stick around for a good eight months before she dumped them. Her current boyfriend was Ryan, a very cute but not too interesting soccer player. He'd been dating for Kate for the last six months or so. So, I wouldn't have to deal with Ryan much longer. And Julie would be getting the boot in a week or two.

It didn't surprise me that they had so many girlfriends/boyfriends. After all, they were both amazingly good looking. But that wasn't the only thing, they also just seemed to have this pull that made you want to be with them. Or maybe it was just me. It was the strangest thing. Then again the Kardigans aren't exactly normal. I could never place my finger on it, but they were different. Exotic.

Everything about them screamed _"Exotic"_


	2. Here Comes Goodbye

**"Here Comes Goodbye"**

Cold Spring's was a pretty small town, but with a _ton _of people. Our high school had about nine hundred kids. And about three hundred of them were in my sophomore class. So, our school had to be pretty big and so did the parking lot. Austin pulled into his usual spot. No matter how late we were nobody dared to steal that spot. Austin would throw a total tantrum if anyone did, he was pretty famous for those.

As we got out of the car everybody stared. We'd all been going to school together since first grade but nobody ever got tired of gawking at the Kardigan twins. As soon as Austin got out of the car he was swept up by his jockish friends and slutty cheerleading companions. My eyes zoned in on Julie Manderson.

She was attached to Austin's side immediately. She didn't wear a cheerleading uniform like the other Austin fans, though. She was 'too cool' to be a chearleader, which really just translated into 'too bitchy and stuck up.' Julie Manderson was everything you would expect somebody like Austin to want in a girlfriend. She had skin the color of mocha, devil red lips, billows of dark hair, a thin waist, and massive breasts.

I hated her for being so pretty (and slutty) and a part of me hated Austin for being so shallow. But it was a hatred that was too much work to maintain, and died quickly. Austin walked away, surrounded by his worshippers, with Julie clinging to his side. I rolled my eyes, and sighed.

Kate and I got out of the car and were engulfed by our friends. We talked and chatted and gossiped like always. Kate, and I were separated from our friends when we reached our homeroom Mr. Migory; the English teacher.

Kate and I gossiped in the back of the room as Mr. Migory did attendance. He rattled off names, seeming in a trance, and children lazily or shyly answered "here." Unless of course they were one of those show-offy kids who made a big thing out of it.

"Rebecca Callaway," he murmured.  
"Here," I said lazily.

Sadly, that was me. Rebecca Callaway. Better known as 'that emo chick with the fine rack.' I also answered to 'the goth bitch with the killer legs' or 'Ken and Jake's little sister.' The first two were a combination compliment and insult, but the last one was just an insult. It bugged the living hell out of me; being known for my big shot older brothers who had more popularity then good sense.

"Kate Kardigan," he continued monotonously.  
"Here," she said pleasantly, beaming a smile.

I always found it strange that Kate's full name was Kate. Not Kaitlyn, not Katherine. Just Kate. Strange, but you stopped dwelling on those things after a while.

English was a drag. Me, and Kate passed notes the entire time. Science was interesting. Tyler almost set the school on fire when he messed up some chemical formula. So that was pretty cool. History was, as always, the high point of my day because I sat next to Austin. Sure, I saw him all the time at his house. But I, unfortunatly, had a humongous crush on the guy so any extra time with him was much appreciated.

Our teacher had assigned us text book pages, everyone groaned. Except for me, of ourse, because that gave me more time to talk to Austin. As we worked we chattered.  
"So Austin," I said casually, "How's Julie"

"Now do you mean in general or like in bed?" he asked, smirking.  
"I meant in general," I specified.

"Oh, then fine I guess."  
"Would your answer been different if I asked how she was in bed?" I wondered.

"Yes," he said, smirking devishly, "Yes it would."  
"You're disgusting," I told him.

"Tell me something I don't know Callaway," he said easily, brushing his fair hair out of his face.  
"There are 86,400 seconds in a day," I said.

"You see? I already knew that." Austin was a lot smarter then you'd expect him to be. He got straight A's across the board, despite never studying or doing homework. Still, sometimes it seemed like Austin was perfect. Good looking, star football player, smart. But then you throw in his awful temper, his tendency to get detention at least three times a week, and the fact that he's a man whore. Other then that though, he was a catch.

The rest of the day passed in total monotony. Spanish was dull because I don't have a clue what she's saying. Gym was repetitive. Lunch was pretty fun, but no different then normal. And Math was a riot because one of my good friends, Mandy, told our math teacher to 'fuck off.' She got sent to the office, but it was still pretty funny, well for me at least.

At the end of the day Kate and I walked out to the Mercedes. Austin wasn't around.

"Oh great," I said, "Now we gotta wait for him"  
"Or we could break a window" Kate suggested.

"Yea, but then he would kill you" I teased "And then where would be?"  
She laughed "Good point"

Kate and I perched ourselves on the hood of the Mercedes to wait.  
We talked, ignoring the guys panting over Kate off to the side.

Austin and his 'clique' approached us.  
"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah." Austin said, rushing over to us "You don't _sit _on my car. Your lucky I let you sit _in _it"

"God" Kate said, as we got off the car "Chill out, drama queen"  
Austin rolled his eyes and unlocked the car.

Me, and Kate had already slid into the back seat before I noticed.  
Sitting in the passenger seat was none other then Julie Manderson.

Usually, just being near her makes me wanna claw something but this was different.  
Austin never brought his girlfriends home.

Ever.

Except when we was gonna dump them.  
He always took them home to break the news.

Something an outsider would never notice.  
So, Julie was clueless.

I felt a smug grin spreading across my lips.  
At least, I won't have to deal with Julie anymore.

Austin drove out of the parking lot and was quickly speeding down out street.  
Julie kept that air of bitchy betterness around her and it drove me nuts.

But it would be amusing to see the way her ego would deflate when Austin broke the news to her.  
I always loved that part.

Once at the Kardigans me and Kate assituated ourselves in the living room to watch MTV.  
Austin led Julie upstairs to his room.

In about 45 minutes she'd be coming down those stairs sobbing.  
Just like all the others.

Sure enough, a little less then an hour had passed when Julie came running down the stairs.  
Tears streaking her beautiful face.

She ran out the door.  
Of course, being to stupid to realize she had no ride home.

Austin sauntered down the stairs a minute later.  
Smiling contently.

"I see Julie got the boot" I said as he sat down on the couch next to us.  
He shrugged "It just wasn't working out"

"You mean she reached the 1 month, 3 weeks, and 5 days mark?" Kate asked.  
"Huh?" Austin asked.

"You dump all your girlfriends after dating them for exactly 1 month, 3 weeks and 5 days" Kate elaborated.  
"Wow" I said "Is that like their expiration date or something?"

Austin rolled his eyes "It's just a coincidence"  
"Pretty damn convenient" I muttered.

After eating Mrs. Kardigans delicious dinner of steak and potatoes Kate helped me with my homework.  
Then, around 9, I headed back home.

Kate drove me in the crossover since it was pretty dark.  
"See you later" she called as I stepped out.

"Bye" I said as she drove away.  
As soon as I stepped through the door Ken and Jake where on my case.

I ignored them.

I went to my room and listed to my IPod till about 11.  
Then fell asleep, feeling basically content.

Little did I know, that tomorrow everything I thought I knew would change.


	3. Stand

**"Stand"**

That morning was pretty normal. Woke up, got ready, bickered with my brothers, went to the Kardigans, ate breakfast, gawked at Austin, went to school, ect. ect.

Everything was average. . . unill History. History was better desrcibed as extrodinary then ordinary. I didn't try to have a conversation with Austin; he was in one of his moods. After he broke up with his girlfriends he was always irritable for a few days. Until he found a new one, which never took long. Austin sat next to me, with a look of strain and frustration on his face  
When Ms. Maket told Donnie to get the textbooks for everyone, Austin got up to sharpen his pencil. It was hard to stare at him from the back of the room, but I managed.  
Which is why I was able to see everything that happened. Austin was sharpening his pencil apathetically. And Donnie was getting the books.

The next, seemingly insignificant, event caused my life to spiral out of control.

Donnie picked up the books for the class, too many. There was no way he could carry them all at once. As predicted, Donnie took a few steps n then the books slipped, crashing to the floor. A few people snickered. Pain and desolation flashed across Donnie's face, so much that it startled me. Then, in a lightning quick movement, Donnie pulled a gun out of his jacket.

"You think this is funny!" he demanded, madness shining in his eyes.  
Everyone's heads swiveled around to face him. And they were all consumed by pure fear, even Austin looked shocked. Everyone was silent.

"On your knees!" Donnie commanded, hands shaking, "On your knees!"  
Everyone obeyed. They all slipped out of there desks and slowly onto their knees. I did too. Everyone but Austin of course. He stood, anger and worry masking his face.

"You too, Blondie!" Donnie snapped, pointing the gun at Austin, who was a mere few feet away from him.  
Austin made a strange angry noise in the back of his throat, something like a growl. His silver eyes briefly darted over to look at me and I begged him to cooperate with my eyes. He sighed, but slowly sank to his knees. Although, he didn't put his hands over his head like mostly everyone else.

Nearly everyone seemed terrified; I mean, the kid had obviously lost his god damn mind. I mean, I knew he got picked on a lot but I never thought it was so bad that he would bring a gun to school. This was insanity; I had to get help. So, while Donnie was giving his 'never again' speech, I slipped out my cellphone behind my back. Texting by looking out of the corner of my eye: _Kate help! a kid brought a gun 2 school! Call the cops ASAP!_

"Hey you!" I looked up, Donnie was staring daggers at me. I froze as he pointed the gun at me

"You think you can outsmart me!" he demanded.  
"Yes," I said haughtily, "Yes I do." In retrospect, it probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, but I didn't care. This crazy guy was going to decided whether or not to kill me on his own, and nothing I said or did would change it. And if he decided to kill me, I didn't want to die groveling.

"We'll see about that," he said, smiling sadistically.  
"I guess we will," I said with eerie calm that even I found unsettling. I slowly rose to my feet; I was not going to die on my knees. Once I was up I didn't move, I didn't breath, I didn't even think. Because if I let my mind function I would of realized I was going to die. I braced myself.

"Put the gun down," Austin ordered. I looked over to Austin to see that he was back on his feet and was glaring daggers at Donnie.  
"You can't tell me what to do! You think just because you're the star football player and get straight A's means you get to call all the shots? Well, now _I'm _calling the shots" Donnie shouted.

"Just stop, Donnie," Austin growled "You don't want to do this. You're not the killing type."  
"You don't think I'm capable of that? I'll show you!" Donnie shouted, aiming the gun at Austin.

Then he fired.

Some people screamed, and I was sure whether or not I was one of them. I wasn't paying attention to anything my body was doing. I was too deathly afraid for Austin. All I could do was  
watch in horror, as the bullet collided with Austin's arm. But there was no screaming, no blood, no death.

Because the bullet had bounced neatly off of Austin's arm.

My shocked thoughts were even more wordless then _"Oh my God!"  
_They were more like:

_! _

Just wordless alarm. I watched as Austin bolted towards Donnie, knocking the gun out of his hand; it slid across the floor. Austin pulled Donnie's arms behind his back, and then pinned him to the wall. Donnie struggled relentlessly, but Austin didn't budge.

A few other guys got up and went to help Austin restrain Donnie, but I had a feeling he didn't need any help. Two of Austin's buddies, football players, grabbed Donnie's arms from Austin and slammed him into the wall. Austin took a step back, staring at Donnie expressionlessly.

Everyone was dead silent for a minute for a few minutes. Mrs. Maket seemed frozen for a little while, but when she finally unthawed she went first to Austin.  
"My God are you alright?" she asked, examining his arm. My guess was that she had probably seen the bullet hit him but had assumed she'd seen wrong when he didn't start rolling on the floor in pain.

"I'm fine," he muttered, pulling away, "He missed."  
"Thank God," she said, "I should call the police."

"Don't bother," I said, standing up, "They're already on their way." Just as I said that a bunch of teachers, all male, burst into the room. Two of them, the gym teacher and the Biology teacher, grabbed Donnie from the football players. The others swarmed around, talking to Mrs. Maket and asking what happened. One of them picked up the gun off the floor and placed it gently on the counter. I noticed Kate peering in from the doorway. A moment later, cops arrived on the scene. I could hear them taking Donnie away outside. The others went around questioning everyone and one put the gun in an evidence bag.

The room filled with activity.

Police officers began to question everyone. Girls pushed past the cops questioning Austin. They all clung to his side, thanking him for saving their lives and commenting on how he was so brave and they would just _have _to make it up to him. I snorted at them as Kate slipped inside and ran over to me.

"Oh my God are you alright!" she asked.  
"I'm fine" I said.

"What happened?" she asked.  
"Donnie brought a gun to school and he was waving it around and ranting about how he was in charge now and bla bla bla. So, I texted you and asked for your help. But he saw me. He was about to shoot me too but then Austin started provoking him, and he fired at Austin. But, luckily it missed him." The last part was a lie.

I purposely left out the part about me speculating that Austin was bulletproof.  
"He stood up to a gunman!" Kate demanded. She didn't sound worried or admiring. She sounds furious.

"Uh yeah?" I said, confused.  
She just glared at Austin.

After being interrogated by the police school was dismissed early. The parking lot was madness. All my friends swarmed around me asking me if I was alright and what happended. Austin's football buddies approached him, congratulating him in a partially teasing way. And at least four girls were literally hanging all over him. Me, and Kate were about to go in car, but we had to wait for Austin.

While we waited outside the Mercedes (not sitting on it) I listened to the girls clinging to Austin.

"Wow, that was sooo brave of you," Sarah gushed.  
"Yeah, you like saved our lives," Tasha cooed.  
"There has to be someway we can repay you," Dana purred, batting her eyelashes.

Kate was growing impatient.  
She tapped her foot irately.

"'Ey lover boy!' Kate snapped sarcastically "I know you have lots of admiring girls to flirt with but we have to go home."  
"Go to hell," he told her.

"Seriously," she hissed, "We have to go. Besides, mommy's favorite is going to have some explaining to do when we get home."  
"First off, you're just jealous because mom likes me better," he said, "Secondly, you're a bitch. And lastly, fine, just give me a sec."

We waited while Austin said goodbye to his friends and detached himself from his admirers. Once he was finished, we all got in the car.  
"Why are you in trouble?" I asked Austin.  
"Uh, umm," he stammered, "Cause I got a scratch on her car"

"Why where you taking her car?" I wondered, suspicious.  
"Well, um my Dad took the Mercedes," Austin said.

"Oh okay," I said, pretending to buy it. The rest of the ride was unusually quiet. Kate was glaring daggers at Austin, but he just stared ahead and pretended not to notice.  
When we got to the Kardigans, Mrs. Kardigan was reading in the living room.

"Children?" she said suprised "What are you doing home?"  
Kate fielded that one. "There was a school shooting and _Austin_ stood up to the gunman," she said with disgust.

Mrs. Kardigan gasped but regained herself quickly. "Becca, would you excuse us for a moment," she asked smoothly.  
"Sure," I said.

Then all three of them disappeared into Mr. Kardigan's study. I waited a little while but finally curiosity won over and I just had to find out what they were talking about. I tiptoed over to the door and pressed my ear to it I heard four hushed voices; Mr. Kardigan must have been home early.

"What were you thinking!" Kate hissed.  
"I was thinking that if he shot someone then there would be blood all over the place," Austin snapped.

"But Austin, doing something that bold could tip off the humans," Mrs. Kardigan whispered.  
"I know, Mom," Austin sighed, "But I broke up with Julie yesterday so I was insanely thirsty"

"Well . . ." Mr. Kardigan mused.  
"Did Austin mention he got shot," Kate added cryptically.

"You what!" there parents demanded.  
"Nobody noticed it hit me," Austin muttered. Ha! I knew it! So I wasn't crazy!

"You better hope not," Kate snapped.  
"What's your problem?" Austin demanded.

"My problem is that you could of exposed us all," Kate hissed, "And then the Council would find us!"  
"I was saving your best friend!" Austin snapped ,"I thought you'd be grateful!"

"Well," Kate sniffed, "Some people would think you did it for selfish reasons."  
"Like what!" Austin demanded.

"Well I don't know but, going out of your way to please me isn't exactly in your nature," Kate said coldly.  
"Neither is saving lives," Austin growled, "And I did that today too! So there's a first time for everything!"

"Children! We'll continue this discussion later," Mr. Kardigan said tightly.  
"I'm stil not sold," Kate muttered, "There's something going on with you. . ."

I ran back over to the couch as fast as I could. The Kardigans came out a half a second later; all wearing different expressions. Mrs. Kardigan was smiling calmly and Mr. Kardigan's expression was carefully blank. Austin looked royally pissed and Kate looked annoyed.

Austin angrily snatched his keys from the coffee table.  
"Where are you going?" Mrs. Kardigan asked politely.

"The school," Austin spoke in clipped angry sentences, "I have football practice. Be back later."  
Then he stormed out.

"Sorry 'bout that," Kate apologized, plopping down on the couch, "Mom was mad that Austin scratched the car"  
"It's fine," I said, pretending to believe her story.

"So what do you wanna do?" Kate asked.  
"Actually, I have to go umm take care of some things. I'll be back later," I said.

"Sure," she said, turning on the t.v.  
I left the Kardigans quickly and headed to the school. I didn't know why but I felt this weird compulsion to go see what Austin was doing. As if it would explain the confusing context I had overheard. The context of their conversation made no sense to me, but I did understand one thing.

The Kardigans were not human, not at all.


	4. Ignorance

**"Ignorance"**

I don't know why I thought following Austin would clear up this mess. I mean, what did I expect to find? Whatever I expected, it was most certainly not what I found. I walked to the school, keeping a low profile. When I got there I went straight for the football field. The team was practicing, but I didn't see Austin. The way he effortlessly kicked ass out there was usually pretty easy to spot.

I jogged down to the field. Nick, one of Austin's friends, was by the edge of the field. His dark brown hair was saturated with sweat, and his face was pinkish. He was guzzling down water.

"Nick!" I called.  
"Oh, hey Callaway," Nick said breathlessly.  
I rolled my eyes; why do guys always call people by their last name?

"Have you seen Austin anywhere?" I asked.  
"Uh, yea. He said he had to get something from his locker," Nick said.

"Okay, thanks!" I said as I began to jog back up to the school.  
I tried the front doors, locked.

I knew that the gym doors were open because of sports' practices. I rounded the corner to the gym doors, when I caught sight of Austin. I immediately jumped back, hiding behind the corner. I peaked out from my hiding spot to see Austin in the middle of an intense make-out session with Cassi Sanders.

Ew.

But I didn't leave, I had to watch; whether it made me physically ill or not. Cassi had her back against the wall. She had her fingers intertwined in his hair and he had his arms around her waist. They were breathing really loud. Austin's lips moved down to Cassi's neck. At first, I thought he was giving her a hickey.

Cassi moaned in pleasure and buried her face in Austin's hair. After about ten minutes Austin pulled away from her neck. When he moved I could clearly see two little holes in Cassi's neck.  
Blood was trickling out of them. Austin took a step away from Cassi. I could clearly see the blood on his lips. He smiled, and I could see fangs, that were _sooo _not there before.

"Forget," he whispered seductively.  
Cassi looked mesmerized as she murmered, "Yes, whatever you say" in a dream like voice.  
Austin draped Cassi's auburn hair over her shoulder to cover the bite mark. "Good, now go" he purred. She walked away, smiling to herself.

I had just noticed I was hyperventilating. I closed my eyes and slumped against the wall, hidden behind the corner. _"Oh My God, Oh My God"_ I thought over and over again. Because I had come to a conclusion, the Kardigans were vampires. How could I have been so stupid? I mean, it was all right in front of me! The fact that they never ate, their paleness, their otherworldly beauty, their silver eyes, their overall perfectness with the underling current of danger. . . It was obvious! Well. . . if you had a wild imagination and one too many shots of Tequila. Because, no matter how well the pieces fit together, I could not make myself believe it.

I slowly opened my eyes.

To see Austin's face right in front of mine. I flinched back against the wall; he'd scared the living hell out of me. His wide silver eyes were staring into my eyes, searching for something.  
He looked entirely focused, but I could sense some panic underneath it all. The blood was wiped from his lips and the fangs were gone, or at least not visible. But that didn't make me less startled.

"How much did you see," he demanded, abruptly.  
_Well, it's nice to see you too._

"Enough," I said, arrogantly. Well, I couldn't let him think I was intimidated.  
"And what do you think," he asked tonelessly.

"I think you're a vampire," I said.  
He didn't laugh in my face or call me crazy like I hoped he would.

"This is the part where you explain everything and tell me my imagination got away from me," I prompted.  
He didn't say anything.

"So, it's true?" I whispered.  
"Yes," he said, emotionless.

"Oh My God!" I babbled, panicking "Austin, does this-" He cut me off.  
"First of all, that's not my real name, and second-" This time it was my turn to cut him off.

"Wait. Not your real name? Then what is your real name?"  
He sighed, "My real name is Austeralgo, and Kate's real name is Hekate. We shortened them to blend in better."

I felt sick. Everything I thought I knew, I really didn't. I hadn't even known my best friends name! I couldn't stop myself from asking the rudest question that popped into my head.  
"What kinds of names are those?"

"Greek," he said, "All immortals have greek names so it's easier for us to identify one another."  
There were two things about what he said. First off, he said 'all' meaning there were more of them. And he said 'immortals' not Vampires. Meaning there were more 'mythical' creatures out there besides Vampires.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "Are you gonna like have a nervous breakdown or something?"  
"No," I lied.

"Well, good. Cause you and me gotta go for a little drive and see some people that can help sort out this whole mess," he told me.  
"Are we going to your house?" I asked.

"My house? Hell no. They'd kill me. No, we're going to see some friends of mine," Austin said.  
"Okay, but you better not be planning to be bringing me as some kind of side-dish," I warned.

"Were not like that," he muttered, looking at the wall over my shoulder.  
"Well, then what are you like?" I asked, gently.

"When it comes to vampires what you see is not what you get," he murmured.  
"Good," I said, "Cause so far the only things I've seen are blood and fangs. And I definitely don't want those. . . Speaking of, did you always have fangs?"

He laughed a little. Then smiled, showing all his teeth. Nope, no fangs.  
Then he said, "They're retractable," and then his two canine teeth grew. Pointing and jagged. Looking just like plastic vampire teeth. Only sharper, and whiter, and shinier, and deadlier.

"Oh," I said, startled.  
He laughed, but the strain didn't leave his face.

"Okay. . . but what about all the other things," I babbled, "Like, aren't vampires supposed to be. . . I don't know, immortal? But you've been aging since I met you. And I thought vampires couldn't have kids. And you have parents so. . . And shouldn't Cassi be a vampire now? You bit her. And how are you out in the sun right now?"

He laughed. It made things seem more normal, except that his fangs were still in place.  
"Well, most myths about vampires are _somewhat _true," Austin said ,"Like, the kid thing. You see, there are two types of vampires-"

He stopped, and tilted his head to the side, listening. I listened too. At first I didn't hear anything, but after a second I could hear the sounds of football players' booming laughter approaching us. Austin's face became very alert.

"We have to go," he said, and his fangs began to retract.  
"What?" I teased, "You don't want your buddies to know your the Quarter Back Of The Undead?"

He rolled his eyes and then began to pull me towards the parking lot.  
"Shouldn't you be having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or something?" he said, "Or feinting? That would be helpful. . . "  
"You'd be surprised how much I can handle," I murmured.

"Well, c'mon let's go," he said ,"I'll explain the rest in the car"  
"Mhm," I mumbled.

I let Austin lead me to his thoughts were swirling in my stress level was rising like a bizzilion times faster then it ever should. My best friend was a vampire. The guy I had the biggest crush on drank girls' blood while making out with them. And I was being taken to a group of immortals, very possibly like a bottle of wine. Not to mention, I had a huge science test the next day.

I felt sick.


	5. Animals

**Animals**

Once, we were in the Mercedes Austin started speeding down the road. He didn't say anything though, just stared forward as if he was convinced that ignoring me would make the problem go away. I wished it would.

"So," I prompted, "Are you gonna continue explaining, or am I gonna have to pry the answers outta you with the jaws of life?"  
He shrugged. "What do you wanna know?"

"Well. . . " I said, "You were saying something about two kinds of vampires. . . whats that all about?"  
"There are two types of vampires. Ones that are born. . . and ones that are created. Me, and Kate are the first kind."

"So, are you guys really twins?" I asked, semi-stupidly, "Cause, I've been wondering that since I found about the vamp stuff."  
"Yeah, we are," he said.

"So, vampires can have kids?" I checked.  
"Yeah, well. . . only some can. You see, born vampires can have kids with other born vampires. And made vampires can have kids with other made vampires. But a born vampire and a made vampire can't have kids together. . . we're not sure why that is. . . " Austin elaborated.

"Could a vampire have kids with a human?" I asked.  
"Nope," Austin mumbled.

"Okay," I muttered, "What about the sun?"  
"If your referring to us being burned by the sun, then no. We don't explode into a pile of ashes or anything." Austin said.

"Okay. . . next question," I said, "What about the aging? I thought vampires were immortals who never aged?"  
"Made vampires don't age," he told me "Born vampires age, and can stop whenever they want. And they can make themselves look any age they want. So, if like a born vampire let themself age to be 30, and then decided to be a teen again, they could do it"

"Hmmm" I mused "So, are you actually sixteen or what?"  
"I'm sixteen," Austin clarified.

"Okay, cool," I said, "Cause if you guys turned out to be like one hundred or something, that would freak me out"  
Austin laughed.

"What else, what else," I mused, "Oh, I know. What about garlic?"  
"Fake," he said, "You know I love garlic bread."

"True . . .what about . . . sleeping in coffins?"  
"Nope, but we can't sleep unless it's like pitch black. . . Our eyes are pretty sensitive so almost any form of light will wake us up. Which is why I can never fall asleep in class. . . no matter how much I want to," Austin muttered.

I laughed. "Okay. . . what about the no reflection thing"  
"Luckily fake, cause Kate would flip if she couldn't see herself in the mirror," Austin said.

I laughed. "Well, doing your hair would be altogether impossible"  
"I guess," he said, shrugging.

"So. . . ummmm. . . what else?" I wondered, "Oh, I know. What about the whole wooden stake thing?"  
"Now, that ones actually true," Austin said, "Any form of wood is not popular with vamps"

"So, if I . . . I don't know, stabbed you with a pencil . . that would kill you?" I asked.  
"Yes, and no," he said, "You'd have to do it pretty hard or else it would just make me _really_ sick"

"Oh," I said.  
"So, are we done with the 3rd degree?" he asked.

"One more," I begged, "This ones important"  
"Fine," he sighed, "What is it?"

"How come when you bit Cassi she didn't turn into a vampire?" I asked.  
"Cause, I didn't inject a lot of venom. . . if I did she'd be a vampire," Austin elaborated.

"Oh. . . so ummmm. . . does you having a different girlfreind every two months have anything to do with your vampireness?" I asked, uncomfortably.  
"I thought you said we were done with questions," he complained.

"C'mon please", I begged.  
"Fine," he sighed, "But this is, absouloutly, most definetly the last one"

"I promise," I said, "After you answer this, I'm done"  
"Okay", he grumbled, "Yes, all the girlfreinds were because I was a vampire"

"Why?" I asked.  
Luckily, he didn't bring up the whole 'last question' thing and answered.

"Because you seem to be forgetting one crucial aspect," Austin hissed, "I. Am. A. Vampire. And guess what? I drink blood. This isn't a fairy tale, Becca. Real vampires aren't like the vampires in your girly romance novels, and we're not like the horror movie sterio-type either. We drink blood, from _live _humans. Now, think about what you saw me doing with Cassi. Then, ask yourself, why I would need all those girlfreinds".

"You drink their blood?" I gasped.  
"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner," Austin muttered.

"But-but why do you need so many?" I stuttered.  
"Because, according to my family, I get bored quickly," Austin growled, slighly bitter, "So, for a while a girl's blood taste amazing to me and then after a while I get bored of it. And I get a new one. But most vampires can sustain themselves on one human for seven or more months. So, apparently, theres something wrong with me"

"Chill out, Austin," I said ,"Don't make me a get the pencil"  
He rolled his eyes and muttered ,"Bite me"

"If I don't, you'll bite me first," I murmered.  
"I wouldn't bite _you," _Austin said, rolling his eyes. As if that was childishly obvious.

"Why not?" I asked, "My blood's not good enough for you?"  
"No, it's not that," he said, "Kate won't let me bite her freinds. She thinks I have 'self control issues' and thats why I bite all the different girls. So, she thinks If I bite one of her freinds I won't be able to stop and end up killing them. But it hasn't happended yet so I doubt it ever will. But, Kate is. . . well just annoying"

"Mhm, intresting," I murmered, "So, ummm one more question"  
"Oh c'mon!" he moaned, "I'm tired of 20 questions"

"Please!" I begged "This one is super important!"  
"Fine, what is it?" he asked, impatiently.

"Yes! Now, ummm where are we going," I asked.  
He turned to look at me.

"We're going to the Azimon"


	6. Welcome To The World

**Welcome To The World**

"What?" I asked, completly confused.  
"Azimon," he repeated.

I gave him a 'wtf' look and he sighed. "Azimon is a name given to different kinds of underground cities for . . . immortals," he elaborated, "Sort of like a country only all spread apart."  
"And by immortals you mean vampires?" I clarified.

"Yes and no," he answered, "Yes, their are vampires. But no, it's not _just _vampires"  
"Then what else is there," I gulped.

"All sorts of 'mythical' creatures," Austin said, "Vampires, werewolves, witches, shape-shifters, genies, pixies. . .the list goes on and _on"  
_"Wow," was all I could say.

"Yep," he muttered.  
I looked out the window, we were in the middle of nowhere.

"So where is this 'Azimon?'" I asked, "How come I've never heard of it?"  
"Because _they _don't want you to," Austin said, rolling his eyes as if this was obvious.

"Who are 'they?'" I asked.  
"That is irrelavant," Austin said tensely.

"Okay. . . " I said, "So, where is Azimon?"  
"Azimon isn't a specific place," Austin explained, "There are different underground cities that make up a secret society called Azimon. The one were going to is called Hades"

"Wow, intresting name," I mumbled, "So how come nobody's ever found any of the Azimon?"  
"Becaus they're inside mountains," Austin said, smirking.

"Uh . . .how is that even possible?"  
"In case you haven't figured it out. . . immortals can do some pretty crazy shit," Austin said ,"A group of Earth Movers hollowed out the mountains thousands of years ago"

"W-O-W" I said, enunicating each letter.

"Yeah, but heres the thingh" Austin said, urgentlyh "This place isn't all flowers and sunshine Its. A. Jungle. It's kill or be killed there. There's not pixies prancing around throwing pixie dust everywhere. . .Actually, watch out for the pixies. They're not like you think they'd be. . .and they fight dirty"

"The vampire is warning me that pixies are dangerous?" I asked, sarcastically.  
"Sorta,," he said, "The point is, that immortals you think are harmless. . aren't, they're dangerous. And the ones you think are dangerous, are even _more _dangerous"

"Fabulous", I grumbled.  
"Don't worry," he told me, "You just gotta remeber two rules. 1. Don't leave my side. 2. Don't make contact with anyone, even eye contact. Got it?"

"Got it," I promised.  
"Good," he said.

Austin turned off on to a dirt road. We were on that road for a few minutes Austin vered off onto the grass and parked the car.  
"This is where we ditch the car," he said, turning off the car.  
"Okay," I agreed, although not particularly pleased about continuing on foot.

We got out of the car and I followed Austin through the grass. It was October so the wind was blowing and I felt goosebumps rise along my arms. The chill in the air made me regret my outfit choice.I had picked out dark blue jeans and a "Green Day" t-shirt for that day, accesorizizing with black fingerless gloves and random wristbands. So, it wasn't exactly a weather appropriate outfit. Actually, I was freezing my ass off. It was sooo damn cold; how the hell was Austin not freezing.

He left his lettermens jacket in the car. So, all he had on were faded blue jeans and a white 'Ambercrombie' t-shirt. I was prattically jogging, trying to keep up with him. He walked, but was so much faster then me. I had noticed the large mountain a while ago. It was absouloutly _huge_. And it kept looking bigger, and bigger as we got closer.

When we were directly in front of the mountain Austin stopped.  
"Don't say anything," he told me.

I nodded as he walked along the edge of the mountain. I followed, trying to be extra quiet. After walking around about one fourth of the way around the mountain I saw an old house. A really dingy looking cabin. Austin walked up to the front door and knocked on the rotting wooden door.

"Who is it?" someone inside hissed, "What do you want?"  
"To thrive under the watchful eye of night," Austin recited.

_What the hell? _I thought. Where these people crazy?

A little door slid open. About the size of one of those things you slide mail into. I could see a pair of bright green eyes looking at us.  
"Name?" they asked.

"Austeralgo Arctarus Karodarus," Austin said.  
_Damn, thats a long name, _I thought to myself; a real stretch from Austin Anthony Kardigan.

Then Austin pulled a chain out from under his showed it to the man like a VIP pass. It had a strange deisgn on it but I couldn't make it out because he hid it back under his shirt.  
The green eyes seemed to widen in some sort of surprise. He seemed genuinly shocked.

The owner of the green eyes spoke.  
"Welcome to Hades,"

And then we were falling.


	7. Show Me What I'm Looking For

**_"Lost"_**

I had never exciprenced such an all consuming darkness before.  
It was so dark I could see more with my eyes closed.

I sucked in air.  
Building up to a good loud scream of terror.

But a hand clamped down on my mouth.  
"Shhh" Austin hissed, invisible in the darkness.

He let go, slowly.  
"Whats going on?" I asked "What happended?"

"This is the entrance to Hades" Austin explained.  
"Well. . . how do we get out of here?" I moaned.

I wasn't afraid of the dark.  
But I _was_ afraid of being blind.

"I can see fine" Austin said "Just follow me"  
"But I can't _see _you" I groaned "-Oh wait I know"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my keys.  
I grabbed the little flashlight keychain, I knew this would come in handy. . .

I turned it on.

I hadn't realized how close Austin was.  
He was directly in front of me.

And I ended up shining the flashlight in his eyes.  
When the light touched his eyes I almost screamed.

His eyes were glowing, freakin glowing!  
They were glowing bright yellow, like cat eyes.

I dropped my little flashlight.

"What the-" I stuttered "Your eyes"  
"Oh" he said, seeming to get what I meant "It's a vampire thing. You ever heard of shineback? Well, Its a predatory thing. Like, if you shine a flashlight over a lake at night you can tell if any crocodiles are their because when the light touches their eyes they glow. Any more questions?"

"No" I breathed "Sorry, it just scared me."  
"It's okay" he said "Just follow me"

"But I can't-" I began.  
I stopped short when I felt something tug the back of my shirt, pulling me.

"C'mon" Austin said impateiently.  
He was pulling me by the collar of my shirt.

"Well, I guess thats one way" I muttered.  
He towed me along in the dark tunnel for a while.

We didn't speak for most of the way.

After a while I could see a dim light ahead of me.  
It was a blueish grey light.

It wasn't very bright. . . but, hey I was just glad I could see something.  
It's a human instinct to panic when we can't see.

We were getting closer and closer to the light.  
And eventually we broke out of the tunnel.

"Woah" was all I managed.

It was like going back in time. Their were white greek-styled houses everywhere that reminded me of the Parthanon. People. . .well Immortals, were running all over the place. I could tell they weren't human, and I could even tell a few that I thought were vampires. . . but I had no refrence for the other ones. The lighting was a dim greyish blue. It reminded me of early morning or evening. When I looked up I could see rock. It was obvious we were in a mountain.

"Remeber" Austin said through clenched teeth "Don't make eye contact with anyone. . . just follow me"  
"Okay" I whispered, trying not to attract notice.

I followed Austin through the Greek-like streets.  
Trying not to look at the exotic and magical immortals around me.

After a while Austin stopped at a pretty white house.  
Complete with colums and carvings of the gods.

Austin kocked on the door.  
I ducked behind him.

But I had to look up when the door opened.  
It was impossible not to want to know what kind of immortal lived there.

It was a girl. She was short with tan coppery skin. Her light brown hair was styled in a short pixie cut. Though, I didn't believe she was a pixie.  
Something about her big brown eyes reminded me of a puppy.

Werewolf maybe?

I wasn't sure.  
But I knew she wasn't a vampire.

She smiled when she saw us "Austin?" she said suprised "I didn't expect to see you here"  
"Hey Yori " he said casually "Is Domingo here?"

"Nope" she chirped "He left this morning. He didn't say anything about leaving Hades though, so he's probably still in the city"  
"Thanks, Yori" Austin muttered, fustrated.

"Any time" she said smiling in a way that made me think she meant that.  
That pissed me off.

"C'mon, Rala" Austin said, grabbing my sleeve to tell me he meant me.  
But who the hell is Rala?

Yori shut the door.

"Who the hell is Rala?" I demanded when Austin led me into a small alley in between two houses.  
"I said that so Yori wouldnt know your human" Austin explained "No immortal would have a name like Rebecca"

"Okay . . .so what do we do now?" I asked.  
"I have to go find Domingo" Austin said, tense.

"Okay, lets go" I said.  
He didnt move.

"What?" I asked.  
"your staying here" he said, uncomfortably.

"What-why?" I stuttered.  
"Domingo could be anywhere in Hades. . . and I move faster by myself" Austin explained.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" I asked, helplessly. He was gonna leave me alone in a strange city full of . . . creatures . . . why wouldn't I be scared!?  
"Stay here" he said "And don't talk to anyone"

"But what if-" I began.  
"Stay here"

"But if someone-"  
"Stay here"

"But-"  
"Stay here"

I felt like I was argueing with a tape recording.

"Fine" I huffed "I'll stay here. . .but if someone eats me then I'm gonna come back from the dead and haunt you"  
"Nobody is gonna eat you" he promised "As long as you _stay here" _

"Why do you keep saying that?" I asked.  
"'Cause your safe here" Austin elaborated "You see, Hades is broken up into two neighborhoods. Bellonna and Ate. We're in Bellonna. It's safe here. Do. Not. Go. To. Ate."

"What's wrong with Ate?" I asked, curious.  
"To put it lightly, it's a bad neighborhood" Austin said grimly.

"Alright then" I said "Well, go find . . .Domingo"  
He nodded and ran off.

I sat down in the alley way.  
I watched the immortals passing me by.

Some looked at me.  
But most ignored me.

I people-watched and hummed.

After about a half-an-hour Austin had still not returned.  
I was starting to get edgy.

I mean, what if he didn't come back?  
What if, his plan to fix the problem was to leave me here in Hades untill the werewolves got me?

But, Austin wouldn't do that. . .  
Right?

I heard footsteps approaching.  
I asumed it was Austin.

Elated, I got up.  
But the figure entering the alley wasn't Austin.

It was Yori.

"Hello?" she called.  
My stomach flipped.

I didn't know who she was.  
I didn't even know _what_ she was.

I knew she was a freind of Austins. . .  
But Austin was a vampire. . . whatever she was, I doubted she was a threat to _him. _

"Oh" Yori startled when she saw me "It's you. . . what are you still doing here?"  
She didn't say it rudely or meanly. . . but I still didn't trust her.

"Hey, uh, ummmm Rala? It's Rala isn't it?" she asked, coming towards me slowly "Your Austin's freind right? Do you wanna come inside?"  
I didn't know what to do. . .

I didn't want to go inside some random. . . creature's house.  
So, I did the only thing I could do.

I ran.

I darted deeper into the alley.  
Farther away from Yori.

"Wait!" she called after me.  
I ran faster.

When I reached the end of the alley I was on another street like the one before.  
I pushed through the crowded walkways, just running.

The more I ran the less people I began to see.  
The houses began to change too.

Instead of the fancy greek houses I now saw red stone buildings.  
With graffiti all over the walls.

It was darker here too.  
Less street lights to illuminate the darkness caused by the mountain.

I stopped running.  
I walked slowly, panting.

Everyone I saw was seriously creepy.

I saw two vampires fighting in an alley.  
I looked away.

Then I saw a big dingy looking dog.  
It snarled at me and jumped through a space inbetween a borded up window.

Most of the people wore hoods.  
So, I couldn't really see them.

But, their were still only about 10 or so people I saw.  
Compared to the 100's I saw before.

I was lost now.  
In a bad neighborhood-

I was in Ate.

* * *

**I don't do alot of AN in this story. . . like I usually do. . . it's cuz I do alot cliffy's n these kinda ruin them. . . but this is important.  
The main thing is that, the last 2 chapters. . . sucked.  
IK that.  
And the next ones r gonna b better, promise.  
It's cuz these two chapters were so HARD 2 write. I was like racking my brain.  
Anyway, the next'll be better.  
2nd, I'd like to thank every1 who reviewed. . .it makes my day :)  
3rd, i'm changing the title of this story to "Welcome To Hades" . . in case ur looking 4 the story u won't b confused.  
4th, I just wanna tell u somethings u might find intresting like: **

**Hades: God of The Underworld  
Ate: Goddess of Mischeif  
Bellonna: Lesser War Goddess. **

**So, yea, think of that wat u will.  
And please Review! :)**


	8. You Found Me

**_"Pixie" _**

Well, isn't this lovely?  
I'm in a bad neighborhood in a supernatural city. . . what could possibly go wrong?

Oh wait, everything.

I had to think of a way to not be. . . well, killed.  
Well first, I decided, I would have to find a place where nobody could sneak up on me.

Where I could think, and be relativly safe.  
I crossed the road and entered a wide alley.

It was empty.

A few trash cans were placed along the edges, and newspapers were drifting along the floor, but other then that it was empty.  
I leaned against the brick wall.

Feeling safer now, because nobody could grab me from behind.  
I closed my eyes and tried to think of a plan.

I couldn't count on Austin finding me, he didn't eve know where I was.  
Maybe it was stupid to run from Yorie.

But their was something in those dark brown eyes that I didn't trust.  
Now, that could be because she's some form if immortal being. . . or because I'm becoming paranoid.

Either way.  
I stood there, thinking, for only a few minutes when I heard a voice close to me.

And then I realized the voice was talking to me.  
"Now, how did you get in here?" the voice asked in a syrupy sweet voice.

I opened my eyes.  
Standing in front of me was a young girl, one of _them_.

She looked about twelve, but I had a feeling she wasn't actually. Their was something sinister in those deep violet eyes that was too cruel for a child. She had skin the color of mocha and cream. Her dark mahogony colored hair fell on waves down her back. She was tiny, even shorter then Kate. She had a round pretty face, that I immediatly distrusted.

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb. I knew that she knew I was a human.  
"Silly human. Don't you know it is pointless to lie to one of us?" she laughed.

That laughter made me realize what she was.  
Her laughter was like a baby's giggling, too soft and sweet.

A pixie, I realized.

"I don't have a clue what your talking about. Now leave you little midget" I hissed, hoping the antagonism would make it convicible.  
"I just wanna know your name" she cooed, too innocently.

"It's R-" I stopped short.  
Austin's voice ringing in my ears

_"No immortal would have a name like Rebecca." _

"Rala" I lied.  
"Rala" she mused "Now tell me, Rala, what are you exactly?"

"Whats it to you" I spat.  
"Just curious. . .and if you won't tell me then maybe you can show me" she said grinning devishly.

Then she lunged at me.

I was trapped against the wall.  
She danced around me, hitting and punching.

"Show me what you can do" she taunted.  
I had to do something, she was kicking the crap out of me.

So, I did the only thing I could do.  
I fought back, thrashing blindly.

I kicked, screamed, punched, hit, and things of that nature.  
Sometimes I hit her, and sometimes I missed.

She seemed confused.  
I doubted their was an immortal in the world who fought back like this.

"Stop!"

The pixie stopped attacking.  
I opened my eyes and looked for thee owner of the voice.

I looked at the entrance to the alley.  
Austin was there.

His teeth were bared, fangs exsposed.  
He was fuming, silver eyes blazing.

The pixie looked startled and then composed her feautres into a smugly annoyed exspression.  
"And of course a vamp spoils my fun, as always" she muttered.

"Get the hell outta here you little scum bag" Austin snarled.  
"So rude" she tisked.

"Now!" he shouted.  
"Alright, alright" she said, backing away from me "God, you vamps are such hot-heads."

She began walking deeper into the alley.  
Austin ran up to me and stood in front of mr, watching her retreating form.

"Good riddens ya little fucked up dwarf" he muttered.  
She spun around, but didn't approach us.

"Uck" she moaned "Thats so typical vamp behavior. Always thinking your better then everyone else."  
"Just get the hell outta here while you still can" Austin hissed in disgust "If you don't I'll do the world a favor, and get rid of you myself."

"Okay, okay" she agreed, rolling her eyes.  
She gave us one last look.

I could tell she still wasn't conviced I was immortal.  
Then she looked at Austin.

Her purple eyes widened.  
"Hey, wait a minute" she said, skwinting as if to get a better look "I know who you are. Your-"

"LEAVE!" Austin thundered.

I had never seen someone so infuriated.  
The pixies eyes widened and she ran off.

He turned to me. "You alright?" he asked, too casually for my tastes though.  
"Im fine" I promised.

"Good. . . I thought I told you to stay put" he said, silver eyes narrowing.  
I shrugged "Yorie invited me inside" I shrugged "And you told me not to make contact with anyone, so I ran."

"Breaking the other rule I gave you" he added.  
I shrugged "It was one or the other."

"Whatever" he sighed "We don't have time for this"  
"Kay, did you find . . . ugh Domingo?" I asked.

"No" he mumbled "I decided to look for him in Ate, but then I heard you screaming"  
"Oh. . . well thanks for saving me" I muttered akwardly.

"No problem" he said casually "Damned pixies have no respect for anyone. . ."  
"Yea I could tell" I said "What was she talking about before. . . when she said she knew you. . ."

He looked uncomfortable.  
He opened his mouth to speak buy was cut off by a silky purr.

"I see the golden boys returned"


	9. For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic

**_"Encounters"_**

My head spun around, trying to find the speaker.  
I looked at both sides of the alley.

Nobody.

I looked up.  
Their was a woman standing on top of a building.

I couldn't exactly see what she looked like from up there, but I could see her dark hair flying around her in the wind.  
"Vesper" Austin snarled.

She jumped down in one fluid movement.  
I could see her clearly now.

She was gorgeous. She was tall and wore a black leather jumpsuit like outfit. She had long dark hair that fell around her shoulders. Her face was perfect. He had devil-red lips and wide dark eyes. Their was an extra something, though. She had an air of a huntress around her, a deadly predator. That made her seem dangerous, and we all know how guys like that.

"Aussie, baby" she purred "Where you been all this time?"  
"Isnt it obvious?" Austin snapped "I was avoiding you."

"Ow, that hurts Aussie, it really does" she said with mock hurt.  
"What do you want Vesper" he hissed.

"I heard you were in the neighborhood and I decided to come find you" she said in her silky voice.  
She was coming closer to us, she was a mere 5 feet away.

"Great, you saw me. Now go" Austin growled.  
"Now Austin" she purred "Thats not very hospitabal, now is it? You didn't even introduce me to your freind over there" she flashed a sneaky smile at me.

"This is Rala" Austin said through clenched teeth.  
"Hello, Rala" Vesper greeted me, smiling with false sweetness "I'm Vesper"

"It's nice to meet you" I muttered the obvious lie.  
"Likewise" Vesper said.

"Great" Austin hissed "Now that were all buddy-buddy, you can leave. Rala, and I have some buisness to attend to"  
"Of course you do" she purred, slightly sarcastically "I mean, why else would _Austin _be back in Hades?"

"Exactly" Austin growled, ignoring the sarcasm.  
"Well, the thing is, this isn't purely a social call" Vesper cooed "Words been spreadin that you were back in Hades. . .and thats a big deal, since nobodys seen in you in over a year. . ."

"Your point" Austin snapped.  
"Tora and the gang are lookin for ya Aussie" she told him.

"I'll go see them when I get the chance" he hissed.  
"You seem a little tense today Aussie, is something wrong" she cooed seductivly.

"I'm fine" he snapped "Except the Alpha-Whore won't leave me alone."  
Vesper only laughed tolerantly.

"You always had such a temper" she said indulgently.  
"Go" Austin ordered.

"Now Aussie" Vesper said seductivly "Surely, you don't mean that"  
"I do" Austin growled "Now leave"

She came even closer.

She carresed his face.  
"You know you don't want me to" she purred.

Austin growled, and swatted her hand away.  
But Zesper would move, bitch never gives up. . .

"Jesus, Austin" I muttered "Is their a bimbo in the world you _havent _dated?"  
"Vesper's dark eyes narrowed at me.

"Shut it, you little blood donor" Vesper hissed.  
"Hey!" Austin snapped "She is _not _my blood donor!"

"Whatever you say, Aussie" she hissed tauntingly.  
"Where leaving" Austin hissed at me "Now. C'mon, Rala"

Austin headed for the mouth of the alley.  
I followed behind him closely.

"Don't walk away from me, Austeralgo" she growled, it was the only time she'd ever called him by his real name.  
When she said that, the streets of Ate suddenly got quiet, as if everyone was anxiously listening.

Austin ran up to Zeper.  
He stood toe-to-toe with her.

"Don't tell me what to do, Vesper" he growled.  
"Oh" she hissed sarcastically "So now, Aussie doesn't want his ex, telling him what to do?"

"Shut up, Vesper!" Austin shouted "Just leave me the fuck alone! Or, I swear to God, I'll kill you"  
She laughed spitefully "With what? The blue fire? You, and I both know you won't. You have unbelivable gifts and your _wasting _them"

I didn't have a clue what she was prattling about.  
But Austin did.

"That is it!" he growled.  
Then he lunged at her.

He tackled her to the alley floor. A crowd begun to gether at the the mouth of the alley.  
They were cheering and screamng like this was some kind of anticipated wrestling match.

Vesper kicked Austin off and he slammed into the alley wall.  
Bricks crumbled off the side.

Before Austin could recover Vesper pinned him to the wall.  
"Leave me alone, Vesper" Austin snarled "I'll kill you if I have to, I swear ill do it Vesper."

"Then do it" she challenged "Use your special powers and fry me."  
He growled in fustration.

She tapped him on the nose with her index finger  
"Thats what I thought, Aussie" she said in a baby voice.

Austin looked like he was gonna strangle her.  
I hoped he would.

I noticed Austin had a ct on his lip and was bleeding.  
Odd, I didn't know vampires could bleed. Then again, I didn't know much about vampires.

Vesper leaned in closer to him. "C'mon Aussie" she purred "You can do better then that, I'm sure."  
"Just leave us alone" Austin hissed.

"Oh don't think, I didnt forget about your blood donor over their" Vesper cooed smugly.  
"Shes not my blood donor!" Austin screamed.

He was on the verge of one of his major temper tantrums.  
This could not end well.

"You always had such a temper" Vesper mused "but you were always so cute, Aussie."  
Austin growled in fury, but stood motionless as Vesper pinned him.

_"He's not even trying!"_ I thought.  
_"At least try and fight back!"_

"Dont. Call. Me. That." Austin hissed through gritted teeth.  
"You know you like it" she purred as she leaned in closer to him.

Then she licked the blood off his lips.

I saw red.  
I was so entirely pissed that I couldn't form a coeherent thought.

I screamed in blistering, irrational, and wordless fury.  
Nobody payed any attention to my screeching.

Without warning, two glass windows on the building next to us shattered.  
I wondered if someone had thrown a rock or something.

I looked at Austin.  
He didnt seem to have even noticed the window, he loooked embarrassed, astounded, and furious.

Austin ripped his hands out of her grip and shoved her forward, hard.  
She crashed into the opposite wall.

_"Haha!" _I thought victouriously.  
_"Take that bitch!" _

She recovered, and stalked back towards him.  
They began fighting intensly. The onlookers cheered loudly.

Austin and Vesper were biting, clawing, and lunging.  
Austin seemed to have the upper hand.

Although, he seemed tired, sort of drained.  
I wondered if he was thirsty.

Vesper pinned Austin's arms behind his back.  
But he pulled his arms out of her grip with ease.

"You always were a lousy fighter" Austin hissed.  
That seemed to piss her off

"Lets end this now, Aussie" she growled.

Then she curled in on herself and black fur shot out.  
In one second she had transformed into a large black panther.

_"Holy shit!" _I thought in shock.

It stalked towards Austin, snarling.  
It lunged at Austin but he swatted it away with his arm.

Vesper the shapeshifting panther collided with the wall with a sort of yelp.  
But she recovered and came back for more.

Right as she was about to lunge at him again a large wolf dropped from the sky between them.  
It was large, and had chocolate brown fur. It was about the size of a Great Dane, only thicker and fluffier.

It stood in between Austin and the panther.  
It was standing in front of Austin, facing the panther with it's teeth bared.

_"Protecting him" _I thought numbly.

The wolf launched at Vesper.  
The two animals began fighting savagly.

They were snapping and clawing, and biting.  
The wolf bit into Vespers shoulder.

The panther made a scream like sound.  
It limped away from the wolf.

Vesper growled once.  
Then stalked away into the alley, defeated.

The crowd called taunts after her.  
Then chortling to themselves they left, off to do more crimes, I was sure.

I looked at Austin.  
He had an exspression of agitated annoyance.

The large wolf turned to Austin.  
Then I blinked.

And missed the whole transformation.

Suddenly their was aboy instead of a wolf.  
He was smiling.

He had short black hair, and warm brown eyes.  
He was mildly tan, a little tanner then me.

He was tall, and musclely.  
And, somehow fully clothed.

I wondered, how that was possible.

"How's it going, Austin?" he asked casualy.  
"You were here" Austin moaned "I've been looking all over Hades for you, Domingo, and your _here" _

"Yep" he said.  
"Ugh" Austin groaned.

"Thanks for saving me, Domingo" Domingo muttered to himself, speaking for Austin and himself "No prob, Austin, what are former body gaurds for?"  
"Thanks Domingo" Austin said grudinginly "But I'll have you know, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself"

"I know" Domingo said "But the point is, your not supposed to have to. _But, _since you dropped off the face of the Earth a year ago, it's been kinda of impossibe"  
Austin just nodded.

"Especially after what happended last time" Domingo ranted "I mean, after that, it was even more important for the Council to know what was going on with you. That wasn't a good time to run away, Austin. You should of stayed in Hades, even though thats where it happended last time, you would of been safer here. Everyone thought that you joined the Arthasians. They will be so glad to here that you didn't! I mean, and now we can make sure the Arthasians don't get the blue fire and-"

"Give it a rest, Domingo" Austin moaned angerly.  
Domingo nodded.

I didn't have a clue what they were talking about.

Why would Austin need a bodygaurd? Who the hell are the Arthasians? What happended last time Austin was in Hades?  
Why does 'The Council' care about what's going on with Austin? Why did Austin run away? And whats all this talk about _blue fire? _

So many questions, and so few answers.


	10. Runaway

_**Hey, ppl! Wanna say thanks 4 reading and to tell you to check out the pics of this story.  
The pics 4 this story r on the profile of **Jazper1843Hale.  
**Since my profile is being gay and won't let me upload, she offered to put them on hers.  
Anyway, enjoy!** _

* * *

**_"Reunion" _**

"You see" Austin said uncomfortably "Theres a bit of a problem."  
"Of course" Domingo sighed "Proceed."

"Well, it's a funny story actually" Austin said grinning impishly "You see my sisters best friend, kinds saw me drinking some girls blood. . . and well now she knows were vamps"  
Austin stopped smiling when he saw Domingos grim exspression "Okay, so maybe it wasn't that funny."

"No" Domingo said sternly "It is most certainly, not funny. Do you realize that by bring careless you could tip people off to who you really are. You could-"  
Austin cut him off "Dom, can we save the lecture for later? We kinds have a crisis" he pointed to me.

I walked closer to them.  
"Your right" Domingo muttered "Your right."

"Of course I am" Austin said "Now, Domingo meet Becca. Becca meet Domingo."  
Domingo reached out and shook my hand "Domingo, werewolf, Austin's bodyguard" he greeted me formally.

"Rebecca, human, unemployed" I said, slightly mocking.  
He smiled a little.

"So what do we do" Austin asked.  
"First, I have to take you to the Council and we can move on from their" Domingo said.

"Your kidding" Austin said, agitated.  
"I'm dead serious" Domingo said.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Austin moaned.  
Domingo went stone-faced "I'm your guard. I've been protecting you since you were 4. It's my purpose in life to make sure your safe. And if I have to make you miserable to do so, goddamnit I will."

Austin didn't seem to have the energy to argue.  
He sighed "Fine, let's go."

We walked out of the alley, heading in the direction of Bellonna, I thought.  
Austin was kind of dragging. He looked paler and had circles under his eyes.

"Austin" Domingo asked, concerned "When was the last time you fed?"  
Austin thought about it for a second "About 6 hours, but I only had about half my usual intake."

Domingo nodded "Once we get to the Council we have to get you a drink."  
Austin lazily flashed him the thumbs up sign.

"And, Austin" Domingo continued "Did you sleep at all last night? 'Cause you were getting your ass kicked out there today."  
"God" Austin muttered "Are you my bodyguard or my mom?"

"Austin" Domingo rebuked "Its my job to protect you, the Council trusted me to protect you. And ever since you burned yourself when you were 4 I knew it wasn't going to be easy. And I've busted my ass, time and time again, to keep you safe. And I'm not gonna let you get killed cause your half asleep in the middle of a fight, now answer me. Did you sleep last night?"

"No" Austin muttered "I was at a party 'till like 4, and then I was watching paperview."  
Domingo rolled his eyes "Teenagers" he muttered.

"And how old are you" I asked skeptically.  
"27" he answered.

"But you look 17" I countered.  
He shrugged "One of the perks of being immortal."

We walked quietly through the streets of Ate, that were teeming with life I couldn't see.  
Austin was dragging, his eyes closing every so often and then opening with a start.

"Wake up, Austin" I said snapping my fingers in his face "This isn't nap time."  
Austin rolled his eyes "Go play in traffic" he muttered.

We were laughing when we saw her.  
We stopped short. "Finally, their you are. Would it kill you to pick up your phone, Austin?"

"Kate" I squeaked.  
Up untill now, I had almost forgotten Kate existed.

She looked different now.  
Maybe it was her outfit or maybe It was because I was seeing her with wiser eyes.

She had her long blond hair flowing around her.  
She wore skinny jeans and a leather jacket that would have looked corny on someone else.

She didn't look like Kate Kardigan, my smart-ass BFF who could use sarcasm as a lethal weapon, who broke hearts on a volunteer basis, and was probably the smartest dumb blonde ever.  
She looked like Hekate Karodaurus, mysterious vampiress.

She looked annoyed but her exspression faded into concern and she tranformed into the old Kate.  
She rushed towards me and hugged me.

"Becca, OMG are you okay? I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I lied!" she was almost crying now "I'm so sorry."  
"Its alright" I promised "I understand."

She pulled back to look at me  
"Really" she sniffed.

"Yes" I promised "I know that you had to lie to me, it's okay"  
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that!" she sighed.

"Ugh" Austin interrupted our BFF warm and fuzzy moment "Just out of curiosity, what are you doing here?"  
"Looking for you" Kate answered "Duh."

"Great" Domingo said "Your just in time to come see the Council with us."  
"Oh hey Fido" Kate said "Didnt see ya there. Been a while. So, how are things in the Doghouse?"  
He laughed tolerantly "Good thanks."

"Cool. . . So were going to see the Council?" Kate asked.  
"Sadly yes" Austin mumbled.

"Goodie" Kate muttered sarcastically.  
We continued walking through Ate.

Kate was lecturing Austin about letting me see him drinking.  
However, I doubted Austin heard any of it.

He was piratically sleep walking.  
So much, that he tripped in his daze.

Domingo snagged his wrist before he could smash his head on the concreate, though.  
"Thats it" Domingo said "Were stopping for now. Austin needs to sleep. And Becca could use some rest too. We'll stay at Tora's place for the night, it's right over here."

Austin moaned unhappily but didn't argue.  
Domingo veered off the given path and down a different street.

We followed, Kate towing Austin by the arm.  
We arrived at a red brick building, just like the others.

It was about 3 stories tall. The shutters on the windows were closed, and the black door had some heavy locks.  
Domingo knocked on the door a few times before it opened.

A pretty women with long dark hair answered. She was tall and tan. She wore a simple white tank top and naturally faded jeans with holes. She looked like a trailer park princess.  
"Tora" Domingo said formally.

"'Ey Dom" she said casually.  
Then she caught sight of the rest of us.

"Oh, and I see it's true" she sneered "The little runaway's back."  
"And let's not forget who's fault it is that I left" Austin snapped tiredly.

That shut her up.

"Can we come in" Domingo asked.  
"Sure" she muttered.

The inside of the house was full of simple and slightly cheap furniture.  
She led us to the kithen where we all sat down at a table.

An array of guys entered the room.  
Four of them, they all looked about in their late teens.

Their was a muscular brunette boy with playful dark eyes.  
And a dark haired boy with a mishevious gleam in his eyes.  
The tallest had black hair, and looked like a bouncer.  
And the last one had auburn colored hair and was smirking.

They basically looked like your everyday Juvenile Delinquents.  
Only, ridiculously attractive.

They all greeted us casually.  
Except Austin.

Who they greeted with playful teasing, pleasantly surprised voices, and an assortment of questions.

"'Ey Count Blondie, your back!"  
"And the Blue Flame has returned, hallelujah"  
"Where ya been all this time, Blondie? It's been super boring around here without you"  
"What were ya doing all this time? Selling drugs or something? Screwing the Arthasian princess? C'mon give me something interesting!"

"Not now" he muttered dismissively.  
They all shrugged and took their seats at the table.

"So, whats the deal?" Tora asked.  
Austin propped his head up on his hand.

"I'm not in the mood to explain" he said "Becca, take it away"  
So, I told the story about me discovering vampires, coming to Hades, and so on.

When I got to the part about the pixie, Tora interrupted.  
"Wait a minute" she said "I think I know her. Wait, what color hair did she have?"

Austin answered.  
"Black" he muttered, and then paused for a minute smirking "The color of your soul"

The guys around the table laughed.  
"The old Austin is back!" the red-headed one cheered.

Tora smiled indulgently "Anyway, yea I know her. Thats Tilsa . . .annoying little twerp"  
"Yep" I agreed.

I continued till the part with Vesper, then Domingo took over.  
At the part where Kate showed up, Kate took over as narrator.

When the story was done Tora said "Wow, good work Blondie. You had to wait 'till a human found out you were a vamp before coming back? Did you even realize their were people worried about you? Like, an entire city of people, maybe? Did you even care? Of course not, why would you? You just wanted to leave all your problems behind. Running away can't change that. You'll always have your powers. You were born with them, and nothing can change that. Just accept it, and face it like a man. Instead of running away like a scared little kid-"

"Ugh" Austin moaned "Wake me when your lecture's over"  
He put his head down on the table, resting his forehead on his arm.

Tora ranted a little bit longer.  
About how it was wrong to runaway, and a bunch of crap I didn't understand.

When she was done I shook Austin's shoulder.  
"You can wake up now" I teased "She's done"

He didn't move.

"Hey" I laughed "He's actually sleeping"  
"Not surprising" Domingo muttered "Kid's been dead on his feet all day"

"Ralph" Tora commanded "Put him on the couch"  
The bouncer looking one, Ralph, slung Austin over his shoulder and carried him to the living room.

He placed him on the couch.  
He didn't stir.

"We should all get some rest" Kate said.  
"Yea" Domingo agreed.

I slept in the little rocking chair.  
Domingo and Kate slept on the 2nd couch, looking awfully cozy.

Austin slept soundlessly on his own couch.  
And Tora and her little gang of guys all slept in their rooms.

I fell asleep quickly.  
Despite the fact I was in a strange place, in a strange house, and my family was probably worried sick about me.

But I didn't care, I was exhausted.  
And besides, the real drama wouldn't start until tomorrow.


	11. Hero

**_Listen to "Hero" by Skillet when you get to the part with the little * * around it. It adds to the affect._**

* * *

**_"Invaders"_**

When I woke up I wasn't surpised to see that it was dark.  
Not only because day and night are the same here, but because all the windows are bolted shut.

Their were no lights on and it was quiet.  
I could see, but not great.

Domingo and Kate were asleep.  
Domingo had his arm thrown lazily around Kate.

I had to remeber to ask Kate if their was something going on with them.

I looked at Austin. He was sound asleep.  
He looked so cute when he was sleeping. His hair was all messy and dishevled.

He had a blanket tossedd over him.  
I looked down and realized I had a blanket over me too.

I got up and pushed it off me.  
"Morning" a voice called.

I spun around to face the kitchen.  
Tora was in the kitchen, wearing plaid pajama pants and the same white tank top.

She was cooking something.  
"Oh hey" I said, stretching.

I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table.  
"How'd ya sleep?" she asked casually.

"Okay, chairs not really comfortable, though" I said.  
"Well" Tora mused "If your still tired you can go sleep in Austin's room. Since he was too tired to realize he has a room here."

"Austin lived here?" I asked.  
"Sometimes. . . he'd come over the weekends, after school, over the summer sometimes . . . " she trailed off.

Well, that explained alot.  
I remembered back when Austin used to disapear all the time. Right after he got home from school he'd leave, nobody knew where he went. Over the weekends he would vanish. Sometimes he'd even go missing for weeks, and then show up randomly. With no explanation of where he'd been. He had stopped doing that suddenly, about a year ago. The time that everyone said he'd ran away. . .

"Why'd he do that?" I asked.  
"He used to like coming to Hades. . .his parents didn't want him to, though" Tora said "Which makes sense. . .you know, considering. But he stopped coming by about a year ago. . .after you know"

_"Uh, no I don't" _I thought.  
_"Because nobody will tell me!" _

I decided that it wasn't a good time to ask, though.  
Even though it was driving me crazy.

"Mhm. . .anyway, no thanks. I'm not tired" I said "But I would like to take a shower. Ugh, where's the bathroom?"  
"2nd floor, third door on your left" Tora told me.

"Alright, thanks" I said as I went up the stairs.  
The second floor was a corridor of doors.

I went into the third one on my left.  
Sure, enough, it was a bathroom.

I took off my, now raggedy, clothes and got in the shower.  
I closed the blue shower curtain and stepped into the hot water.

It felt amazingly good to take a shower.  
I took a decent length shower. Not as long as usual but, being a teenager I find it impossible to take a shower in under 30 minutes.

When I was done, I stepped out and wrapped myself in a dark green towel.  
Then I noticed that someone, probably Tora, had left a pile of clean clothes on the counter.

That's when I realized I hadn't locked the door.  
That had been pretty stupid, considering I was in a house with mostly guys.

Before I got dressed I locked the door, just so nobody would accidently walk in on me.  
I put on the clothes Tora had left.

They fit suprisingly well.  
I looked in the mirror.

Torra had given me a white t-shirt and a blue jeans that were nice and clean.  
I gave the rest of myself an inspection in the mirror.

My hair was wet but looked okay.  
My face looked pretty plain, though.

I would have killed for some eyeliner.

I hung up the towels and picked my clothes off the floor.  
I folded my clothes into a nice pile and walked downstairs.

Everyone was up now.  
They were all in the kitchen.

Tora was serving food to Domingo, Ralph, and two other guys.  
Austin, and Kate didn't eat.

_"Vampires" _I thought, rolling my eyes.  
Austin was leaning against the wall, he looked better. Not as tired, but still a little drained.

Kate was bouncing on one foot in anticipation.  
When she was me she ran up the stairs screaming "My turn!"

I laughed, and sat down at the table.  
Tora put a plate of eggs in front of me.

I hadn't eaten since breakfest yesterday, so I was starving. I dug right in.  
"Where's Diablo?" the tan brunette boy asked.

"He went to the market to buy blood for himself, and the other vampires" Tora said.  
_"Okay, thats weird" _I thought _"A blood market? Creepy, but convient" _

"Damn vamps" the other tan brunette one muttered "Why can't they just eat a steak or something"  
"I know right" the simmilar looking one said.

"Mars, Jupiter" Austin muttered "Shut it, before I break your necks."  
"Jupiter? Mars? Weird coiencidence much?" I asked.

"Nah" Ralph said "They're twins."  
Austin pointed out Jupiter and Mars.

I could barely tell them apart, they were only slightly different.  
Mars was a little taller and had slightly darker hair.

I wondered how I had noticed that last night.  
_"I must've been too tired to really look at them" _I thought.

Kate came down the stairs, then.  
Her damp hair was a little darker now.

She wore daisy dukes and a white tank top.  
The clothes were too small to fit Tora, so I assumed they were hers, even though she didn't bring anything with her.

Austin walked upstairs, probably to take a shower.  
After eating, we all went into the living room.

Ralph, Mars, and Jupiter were watching something on t.v.  
And Tora was doing Kate's hair.

I dug around in the pocket of the jeans I was wearing yesterday.  
I took out my cellphone.

15 new texts, and 10 missed calls.

"_Great" _I thought sarcastically.

The calls were from my parents and 6 of the texts were from my brothers, Ken and Jake.  
They were all looking for me. I decided not to respond.

I couldn't think of a decent story now, so I decided I would wait till inspiration came to me.

Their were 3 texts from Mandy, wondering where I was.  
Their were 2 texts from Rach, mad that I wasn't in school, leaving her alone in Spanish with nobody to talk to.  
The other 4 texts were from Nick, Dianna, Matt, and Hannah, all wondering where I was.

I closed my phone .

Austin came down the stairs.  
He wore jeans and a black t-shirt.

I sighed mentally, he looked so cute with his hair wet.

Austin sat down on the couch, next to me.  
It took all my will power not to stare at him.

"So" Mars asked "You never got to tell us what you've been up to all this time"  
"Yea" Jupiter chimed in "I'm still betting on either, selling drugs or the Arthasian princess"

Austin rolled his eyes "All I did was hang out in the human world. Went to school, went to parties, went to movies, did homework. Normal, boring stuff"  
"Yuck" Jupiter said in disgust "School. You know, dropping out was the best descion I ever made"

"I don't know, Jupiter. Their's alot of things about school you don't appreciate till your older" Austin said smirking "For example, being spanked by an older women"  
All the guys started laughing, even Domingo snickered.

Kate slapped Austin upside the head "You are sick"  
"It was a joke" he said.

Kate rolled her eyes.  
I pressed my lips together, I couldn't help it. It was kinda funny . . . in a perverted way.

But hell, all teenagers are perveted.  
I think it has something to do with cafeteria food. . .

The red-headed vampire, Diablo, walked in then.  
He had several bottles full of blood.

"Finally" Austin said.  
He and Kate both got up and went over to him.

*After that everything else seemed to happen all at once.*

Someone kicked in the heavely locked door.  
And people were jumping in from the windows, some came from upstairs.

They all wore black and looked deadly.  
Their were about 20 of them. Mostly men, but a few women.

Somebody screamed as they crashed in from the windows probably me.  
Everybody reacted quickly.

Domingo was the first to attack.  
He changed into his wolf form and lunged.

Tora knocked over the couch when she sprung up and tackled one of the invaders.  
Jupiter and Mars shifted into two humongous lions and tag teamed a couple of them.

Ralph shifted into a snarling black wolf and attacked.  
Diablo threw down the blood and lunged.

Kate grabbed one of them by the shoulders and slammed them down on the table.  
The table split in half, wooden shards slid across the floor.

Austin tackled a man to the ground with hesitation.  
I stood helplessly by the side. Nobody bothered with me, seeing as I wasn't a threat.

It was chaos.

Blood, screaming, fighting.  
I couldn't keep my eyes on one fight for long.

I noticed one of the invaders transformed into a Tiger and was fighting with Domingo.  
Kate tore herself away from her fight and tackled the tiger, seeming furious.

While Kate fought with the tiger, a majestic white wolf peeled Kate off the tiger and pinned her to the floor.  
The wolf placed it's teeth at her neck.

_"Do something!"_ I screamed at myself.

I jumped when, next to me a man slammed Tora into a bookcase.  
The contents clattered to the ground.

Tora pushed her pursuer to the ground and pinned him.  
A little silver wolf statue caught my eye.

A plan formulated in my head.  
It was a long shot, but I had to try. I

picked up the silver wolf and threw it at the white wolf.  
It hit it square on the head.

Sure enough, it whimpered and staggered back.  
Allowing Kate fredom.

I had figured if wood really did hurt vampires, then why wouldn't silver hurt werewolves?  
But my succes didn't last.

The white wolf recovered and turned it's blazing yellow eyes on me.  
Then it lunged.

_"Aw damn"_ I thought.

Austin saved me at the last second.  
He slid in front of me, arms upraised.

I didn't see how that would help.

And then fire blazed in front of him.  
It wasn't normal fire though. It was blue.

_"Blue fire"_ I thought numbly.

The fire burned all the way to the ceiling.  
Incasing us in it.

I heard the wolf whine as the fire halted her attack.  
Austin had me pressed up against the wall.

A part of my mind realized that Austin was creating this terrifying blue fire.  
And I realized, with hollow sastifaction, that another peice of the puzzle had been placed.

But I was still very, very, _very _confused.

Outside the fire barrier I could tell the fighting was continueing.  
Their was screaming, and snarling, and hissing, and crashing and lots of other noises that indicate violence.

The fire dimmed a little.  
So that it was a little lower then eye level.

Austin took a few steps foward.  
The white wolf stalked towards him.

He put his hand out towards it.  
And a trail of fire erupted along the floor towards the wolf.

When the fire hit the wolf it gave a high pitched howl.  
Then stumbled back and crashed into the wall.

Austin stayed in front of me.  
Fighting off the invaders.

Mostly with the blue fire.  
But he occasionaly used 'normal' methods of fighting.

It was mayhem.

And the invaders' numbers were increasing as 'we' fought them off.  
I couldn't comprehend the reason behind this assault.

About 50 more enemies came crashing from the windows.  
_'We can't win" _I thought in terror _"Theirs no way" _

"Go!" Tora screamed "Now!"  
"Were not leaving you guys!" Austin shouted as he slashed the blue fire at an incoming vampire.

"You have to!" Tora screeched as sparred with a hulking vampire "You and Kate have to go! Take Becca and _run! _Now!"  
Austin seemed to be struggling with himself.

"It's alright!" Diablo shouted as he speared a vampire with a peice of wood from the ruined table "We'll be okay!"  
Austin seemed decided, he nodded sternly.

Then he met Kate's eyes from across the room.  
She looked up from her fight for a breif second.

Then her gaze drifted to Domingo.  
Who was fighting agiley with two vampires.

"No!" she screamed "I'm not leaving him!"  
Austin nodded.

Then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out the door, that was a few feet from us.  
We narrowly missed a lunging cougar.

"No!" I screeched "I'm not leaving her!"  
"You have to" he murmered grimly.

I stuggled feebly against his iron grip.  
He slung me over his back, piggy-back style.

He wrapped my arms around his neck.  
He held my hands together with one of his, so I couldn't let go.

Then he ran.

Now I understood why he had to carry me.  
Their was no way I could run that fast.

I looked over my shoulder.  
And I could see we were being followed.

By about 10 of the poeple who had invaded the house.  
They were running at top speed, closing in on us.

"Who are _they" _I asked "Why are they after us?"  
"Their not after us" he said bleakly "Their after _me" _

"You?" I stuttered "But-why?"  
"I-"

And then we were falling.

When Austin hit the concreate I fell off his back and slid along the ground.  
His head had bashed on the ground, but he was still conscience.

But he had blood in his hair.  
His blond hair was becoming saturated with blood.

"Run" he ordered.  
"No" I said "I'm not leaving you"

"Don't be stupid!" he growled "Leave!"  
"I can't leave you" I said, crawling closer to him.

"You little idiot!" he snarled "If you stay here, your going to die!"  
"It doesn't matter" I whispered "I won't abandon you"

Then they swarmed in on us.  
They were all grinning, in a really creepy way.

A big hulking man picked up Austin.  
Then he delivered a blow to his head.

Before he blacked out Austin muttered "Idiot"  
Then someone grabbed me from behind.

"Put me down!" I screamed.  
I struggled against my capturs iron hold.

Then everything went black.


	12. Everybody's Fool

_They longest chapter EVER. I swear, it's REALLY long. _

**_"Explanations" _**

When I awoke I was in a very unfamilar room.  
I was lying in a big white bed, on top of the fluffy white comforter.

Everything was white.  
The couches, the statues, the chairs, the doors, the plasma, everything.

Their were pastel covered paintings scattered around.  
But no windows.

I rolled over to get a better look around, and saw that Austin was next to me.  
He was sleeping.

He had dried blood in his hair, but I could tell it wasn't bleeding anymore because the pillow had no blood on it. He had blood on his forehead too. He had a black and blue bruise on his cheek. His arms had cuts, and scraps all along them. Dried blood coated the skin around the laserations.

He was a mess.

I sighed and got up.  
I walked over to the first white door.

Locked.

I had a feeling it would be.  
Because, although this didn't look like a prison, we were clearly prisoners.

I walked over to the next door.  
It opened, revealing a master bathroom.

I walked in, and looked in the fancy mirror.  
I didn't look that bad.

My hair was a tangled mess though, and I had a bump on my forehead.  
But, since I hadn't gone into a coma in my sleep, I figured it was nothing.

The white shirt I had on had blood on it.  
Though not a lot.

When I walked back into the main room I saw that Austin was awake.  
He was sitting on the side of the bed, looking around.

He looked suprised to see me.  
I walked over to the bed, and sat next to him.

His steel eyes narrowed "I thought I told you to run."  
"And I thought I told you, I wasn't leaving you" I retorted.

"Thats stupid" he growled "You didn't stand a chance against them. If you ran, you would of at least had a chance of surviving"  
"We're not gonna die" I told him sternly.

"_I'm _not_"_ he said "You might."  
"Why do you keep saying that?" I demanded "What the hell is going on!?"

He sighed "Fine, I'll tell you. But be warned, it's a very long story. And it starts before I was even born. Okay?"  
"Okay" I said impatiently "Just get on it with it, damnit"

"Okay" he said "I'll start out with the prophecy"  
"What prophecy?" I asked, confused.

"The one that predicted my birth" he muttered "I know it by heart:

_Two lives begin on the day of the dead  
Born in the year of the lionesses revenge_

_**Partakers of the immortal drink  
And they will arrive cloaked in silver and gold**_

_**Children of the gods  
A blessing or a curse**_

For they will yeild great power  
Whether to replenish or destory

_**The girl will be of dark magic  
And from her eyes the embers of envy glow green **_

_**Pretty maiden, watching over the night  
As teal eyes assist, hidden by the mark of humanity**_

_**The Dark Maiden will vilgiantly watch over her twin  
The Boy of Blue Fire **_

_**Blue Flames of infinite rage spark under his command  
Fueled by hate, dosed by love **_

_**Whomever tries to snuff out the blue flame  
Will die with the rage of his ancestors heavy on his back **_

_**For if the blue flame ever dies  
The moon will bleed bloody crimson tears **_

_**And a crushing sorrow will overcome us  
As the goddesses mourn their fallen son **_

_**Following the greif will be an unimaginable chaos, straight from hell  
As the God's avenge his death **_

_**But for as long as the Blue Flame flickers with the fires of eternal youth  
Their will be hope for the world **_

_**The Dark Maiden, and Blue Flame will bring forth a new day of understanding and peace  
Under the guidance of the Lost Witch **_

_**Whose peircing cry and aqua eyes  
Dose the fires of hate **_

_**But the Goddess of Dawn will rekindle the flames of fury  
As she intercepts the Lost Witch's path **_

_**And fuels the fires of fury and pain  
The Goddess of Dawn, will be one of many who try to harnas the Blue Flames power**_

For whoever has the Blue Flame  
Will bring forth a new era

_**In which they will rule"**_

I couldn't think of anything smart to say.  
So I said "Wait a minute, how do we know all this spirtual mumbo jumbo is even talking about you?"

"1. I was born on Halloween" Austin elaborated "2. In 1993, a year this crazy-ass shapeshifting lioness got revenge on a bunch of witches for killing her mate. 3. I'm a vampire. 4. I have silver eyes and gold hair. Shall I continue?"

"Okay, okay" I said, convinced "But what does it mean?"  
He shrugged "It means a lot of things. Scholars have been decoding it for centuries"

"But what does it have to do with you?" I asked.  
"The Blue Flame, that would be me. And The Dark Maiden, thats Kate" Austin muttered "As you've probably already noticed, I have the ability to control fire, _blue _fire. And Kate, she has the power to paralyze people with this - this dark magic thing. She hasn't really explored what it can do, though. So, it's still pretty weak"

"What about the other people mentioned" I asked.  
"We don't know who the Lost Witch is. And their starting to figure out who the Goddess of Dawn is, although it's still sketchy" Austin told me.

"Okay. . .so what does the rest of it mean?" I asked, I felt like I was going a lot of that.  
"Mostly it says, that will both be very powerful and bla bla bla. But it also says that if someone like kills me, then this violent apocolypse like thing is gonna happen"

"Well, thats not good" I mumbled.  
"No it isn't" he said "And the last part means that whoever has me on their side, will rule the world"

"I have a feeling thats why were here" I murmered.  
"Thats exactly why were here" Austin said.

"But who are they?" I asked.  
"The Arthasians. Their enemies of the Azimon. Another . . . group of immortals. They have cities all over the world, in mountains. Like the Azimon. Only, they hate humans. Absouloutly _hate _them. The Azimon have been at war with them for thousands of years, without one moment of peace"

"Damn, thats long" I muttered "Isn't it kinda stupid, though? I mean, the people who started the war are dead. So, why do they continue?"  
"Who said they were dead?" Austin asked rhetorically.

"Their still alive!?" I asked in shock.  
"Some of them are" he shrugged.

"Wow" I mumbled.  
"Now, if your done" Austin said "I'd like to continue"

I gestured for him to go on.  
"Proceed" I muttered.

"Okay" Austin said "So, the immortal world knew what day and what year I would be born. So that day, Halloween 1993, every immortal in every city (Azimon and Arthasian) all scowered their cities trying to find newborns that matched the prophecy. My parents were living in Hades when we were born. The Azimon had passed a law that all newborn babies would be brought to the Council that day. So, when we were born, our parents took us to the Council. They had reason to believe it was us, so they found simmilarites between us and the propechy. The day, the year, the hair, the eyes, the fact that were both vampires, ect. ect. Anyway, they decided to was us. So, they announced the news to the Azimon and we were all happy, happy. Since, the 'Children of the Gods' were Azimons. So, the Arthasians, were . . . well, pissed off to say the least. So, the Council had us under 24 hour survelience, in case the Arthasians tried to kidnap us or something. We had bodygaurds, and burglar alarms, and motion sensors, the whole 9-yards. Our house had basically been turned into a high-secruity prison. It was a pretty suckish way to grow up. Everyday we would go to the Council. Where our parents would confrence with the Council, and me and Kate would have tests done. Tests where they would determine the extent of our powers. Kate didn't like using the her powers, and she was pretty stubborn. Which is why, she still doesn't have much use for her 'gift.' I, however, loved useing the blue fire. I thought it was _fun. _It was the only dangerous thing I was allowed to do. Actually, I was encouraged to do it. My parents often fought with the Council. They didn't like their kids being used as weapons, and not having a normal life. But the Council wouldn't budge. So, anyway, things were going okay for me. Untill I was 4. I was playing with the blue fire one day, just playing around. Domingo was watching me, and he told me to be careful. I pretty much, ignored him. So, as I was playing with fire, I tripped over a toy I had left out. I didn't fall but I stumbled, lost my focus, and lost control of the fire. I burned my hand"

I was so wrapped up in the story that it felt strange to come back to the real world.  
Austin had paused, and placed his hand on the black thick leather wristband he always wore. He never took it off.

But then, he did take the wristband off.

Underneath the wristband was a blue mark.  
It wrapped all the way around his wrist.

It spiked up in random places.  
Making it look like fire.

I reached forward to touch it, for no reason at all.  
But he jerked his hand away.

"Sorry" he muttered.  
"It's okay" I murmered.

"Anyway, back to the story" Austin said "So, after treating my hand, my parents were pretty pissed at the Council. They considered it their fault. So, my parents decided to move. So, one day when we were going for a walk in Bellonna, my parents decided to leave. It was a perfect opprutinity, a fire had broken out as some shop. It had our bodygaurds pretty distracted. So, my parents took me and Kate and ran. They left Hades, and never came back. So, we moved to Cold Springs. My dad got a job at a law firm, my mother became a wedding planner, and we were all pretty happy. I wasn't too happy, though. I was always afraid I was gonna hurt myself again with the blue fire, or hurt someone else. I was depressed, which is strange for a 4 year old. But, vampire children are a lot smarter and advanced then human children. Anyway, I was pretty depressed"

I remembered that time.  
When I first met Austin, he was completly different then he was now.

He had been a small cute 5 year old, with blonde hair and dead eyes.  
He had always seemed afraid of his own shadow.

But it hadn't taken long for him to make freinds and change.  
By the time he was 6, he was the happiest kid I'd ever seen.

"So, after a while I adjusted to the human world" Austin continued "I pretty much forgot all about the propechy, and blue fire, and the immortal world in general. That went on untill I was 12. Then I started feeling the urge to use the blue fire more, and more. I would practice in the woods, so my parents wouldn't know. I was always careful, always in control. When I was 13, it got even worse. I felt the need to be around other immortals. Not just my family. I wanted to go to Hades. So, I used to sneak away to Hades. Tell my parents I was at a freinds house, or sports practice, whatever worked. I usually spent time in Ate, it was exciting. Eventually, the Council found out I was there. So, they called me in for meetings and such. I agreed to train with them, demonstrating the fire and such. Domingo was re-issued as my bodygaurd, but only while I was in Hades. I had met Tora and the guys. Tora gave me a room for whenever I was in Hades. It became like a second home to me. Things were going pretty great. Then when I was about 15, things went south. I was at Tora's. Me and the guys were watching the game. And Tora made some comment about Vesper, she was my girlfreind at the time. It was just a joke, but it really set me off. I was so pissed, for no reason. And then the blue fire flooded the firstfloor. Everyone ran outside in time. They were okay, but I wasn't. I was a mess. I was angry, and sad, and lonely, and just plain miserable. I couldn't understand why that had happened. It made me feel like it wasn't safe for them to be around me. So, I left. I wondered around in the woods for a while. But I picked a bad time to go. I was ambushed and kidnapped by the Arthasians. They brought me to the same place. Thats where I met the Arthasian princess, Aurora. She is one power hungry bitch, let me tell you that. She's a demon. So anyway, I was here for a few days before Council found out what happened and broke me out. They took me back to Hades. So, that night, I snuck away from Hades. And never came back. Untill, well, you know. So now, the Arthasians have kidnapped me again. They want me to help with their World Domination Scheme. Only this time, the Council doesn't know I'm missing."

"So what do we do?" I asked.  
"How should I know" he shrugged.

"Why don't you just use the blue fire and blast us out?" I wondered.  
"Not an option" he said "Theirs too things nescerary to use the blue fire. 1. Hate. I got that. And 2. Energy. Don't got. I lost too much blood, and I haven't had a drink since. . . At least a day. But I don't know how long we've been out so it could be longer."

"So, what your saying is, that if you drank some blood you could use the blue fire" I asked, calculating.  
"Thats what I just said" he muttered.

"Thats all you need?" I cofinrmed.  
"Yea. . . but it doesn't matter" he said "There isn't any blood here."

"You sure?" I asked slyly. He gave me a look as he caught on.  
"Hell no" he shouted "Thats not gonna happen"

"Would you rather die?" I asked.  
"Quite possibly" he hissed.

"Dont be stupid" I reasoned "Its either this, or we both die."  
"No" he said stubbornly.

"Just drink from me, Austin"


	13. Bleed Like Me

**_"Donating" _**

"But I don't want to" he said stubbornly.  
"Yes, you do" I reasoned.

He stood up.  
And then turned his blazing metalic eyes on me

"Dont tell me what I want" he snarled in a random fit of anger.  
"Oh chill out" I said, dismissevly, standing up too "I'm just saying that, your a vampire. You haven't had a drink in days, your gonna be thirsty. There just facts."

He rolled his eyes "Whatever . . . It doesn't change anything. I'm not gonna drink your blood and thats final."  
"Fine" I huffed "Then I'll just have to cut myself and then you won't be able to stop yourself."

"Are you implying something about my self control" he acused.  
"Yes" I said "yes, I am." He narrowed his eyes.

"Stop being insane" he told me "I don't want to drink your blood and you can't make me."  
"I take that as a personal challenge" I said.

"Take it however you want" he said, without infliction.  
"Well, I hope you know" I said, misheviously "That I'm every bit as stubborn as you are a spoiled brat."

That woke him up.

"What" he asked sharply.  
"You heard me" I said haughtly "Whenever you don't get what you want, you scream and yell untill people give in. It doesn't take much to launch you into one of your childish temper tantrums, either. And, not to mention, your completly unreasonable. It didn't suprise me that you refused to drink my blood. Because it was my idea. If you thought of it, then their would be no stopping you."

"For the record" he hissed "I do not get everything I want"  
"Oh please" I said, waving a hand dismessivly "You do to get everything you want. Your just some pampered pretty boy"

"And your just some seriously annoying human" he retorted "So, we both have problems"  
"At least mine don't involve being a childish brat who refuses to do what other people ask him" I said "Just to prove that they can't make him"

"That has nothing to do with it" Austin muttered.  
"Oh, really" I said, haughtily "Then, tell me, why won't you drink my blood"

"I don't have to explain myself to you" he snapped.  
"True" I said "But your gonna be stuck with me in this room for a _long _time. And, you might want to, if I annoy you enough"

"If you annoy me enough, then maybe I'll just snap your neck" he hissed "Ever think about that?"  
"If you were gonna snap my neck, you would have done it by now" I retorted.

"You don't know that" he muttered darkly.  
"Are you questioning my inteligence" I acused.

"Perhaps" Austin said, arrogantly "After all, it did take you 10 years to figure out we were vampires"  
_"And you still havent figured out I'm in love with you" _I thought _"So maybe were both stupid" _

Instead I said "True. . . and I probably never would have if I hadn't seen you sucking the life out of Cassi Sanders"  
He glared at me "What were you even doing there? Did you follow me?"

"Yes" I said, holding my head up high "I was suspicious, since I had seen you deflect a bullet earlier"  
"Still" he muttered "You shouldn't have followed me"

"Whatever" I told him "It doesn't matter. The point is, you liked drinking Cassi's blood, so I find it strange you don't want to drink mine"  
"Maybe I like Cassi" he said arrogantly.

"Maybe you like her because she's a slut" I retorted.  
"Maybe I do"

"So, what your saying is" I continued "You only drink blood from sluts"  
"That is not true" he told me.

"Prove it" I challenged.  
"I will" he said as he flashed his, now visible, fangs.

He moved in closer to me.  
Cornering me against the wall.

I was, suddenly, afraid.  
I didn't know if this would hurt or not.

I mean, Cassi didn't seem to mind but. . .  
You never know.

He was extremly close to me now.  
He placed his hands on the wall behind me for support.

_"Breath, breath" _I told myself _"Too fast, too fast! Good, now breath"  
_I was on the verge of hyperventalating.

He moved in even closer.  
He leaned into my neck.

His lips brushed against my throat.  
And I felt a tingly feeling go down my spine.

"I'll have you know" he murmered against my throat "I'm not going to enjoy this"  
"Of course not" I breathed. I was going for sarcasm, but that was kinda ruined by my breathless voice.

Then I felt the stab of peircing fangs.  
As they tore through my flesh, I felt a moment of pure agony.

I sucked in air for a good loud scream.  
But stopped.

Suddenly, the pain was replaced by a warm feeling.  
That was growing, and growing. . .

Untill I felt pure bliss.  
I had never been so happy.

It was better then anything I had ever excirprenced before.  
Better then anything I had ever imagined.

It was almost impossible to describe why it felt so good.

I had never felt closer to someone.  
I could feel Austin drinking the blood pouring from my veins, but more then that. . .

It was too hard to explain.

I had to hold back a moan.  
I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

I felt like I was floating, like I was in another universe.  
But, God only knew, how Austin felt.

Did this feel right to him?  
Or did this feel like a chore to him? Like something he _had _to do to stay alive?

I was unsure of how long this had been going on.  
It could of have been hours, but if it had been that long I probably would have died of blood loss.

Austin moaned in pleasure.  
_"So much for not enjoying it" _I thought wrly.

Although, this didn't answer my question.  
Was he happy because he was drinking blood? Or happy because he was drinking _my _blood?

I didn't know.  
And I sure as hell, wasn't asking him.

I could feel Austin's lips move up my neck.  
Towards my jawline.

But then he stopped.  
And, abrutly, pulled away.

I opened my eyes.

Everything seemed alien to me after coming out of such a surreal excirpence.  
It was like coming out of a dark movie theatre, and being suprised that it's so bright out.

"Lay down" he told me, his voice was rough.  
I nodded numbly.

I collasped on the bed.  
I knew I was tired and drained, but all I could feel was the high from that exciprence.

Austin walked over to the mini fridge.  
When he walked, it seemed more graceful then before.

I found myself annaylizing every step he took.  
Every move he made.

I was even more intoxicated by him then ever before.

Which, had seemed impossible to me.  
But, I knew it was true.

I was more in love with Austin then I had ever been before.  
And that, could not, be good.

Austin walked over to me.  
He handed me a snack and a drink.

I was paying more attention to everything about Austin.  
And I found myself noticing things about him I never had before.

I had always known he was good-looking.  
You'd have to be legally blind not to.

But, now, he looked like some kind of _God.  
_More beautiful then any angel, and hotter then any movie star.

His silver eyes were sparkling, twinkling misheviously.  
His lips looked soft and welcoming, and I could still remember the way they had felt against my skin.

His hair was bloody and dishevled.  
But, I could still see the soft golden color it had.

"Here" he told me, his voice sounded velvety, something I had never noticed before "Eat this. It'll help you feel better"  
"Okay" I agreed, mesmerized.

He backed away.  
Heading towards the bathroom door.

I could see something dark brewing behind his silver eyes.  
Something was bothering him, it was easy to tell by his eyes.

It made me wonder how I'd never noticed this either.  
I wondered if I'd been partially blind before.

"I'm going to take a shower" he told me blankly.  
_"Well your covered in gore" _I thought about saying _"So, thats probably a good idea"_

But all that came out was a dreamy sigh of "Okay"  
He nodded and disapeared into the bathroom.

I could hear the water turn on.  
But other then that, it was dead silent.

I felt like I was floating.  
I felt like I would agree with anything Austin said.

This reminded me of something. . .  
But I was too high to remember what it was.

It only felt like a minute later when Austin came out.  
Although, it had to be a little longer. . .

He wasn't covered in blood anymore.  
He had on normal jeans, and a normal white shirt.

With his light colored clothes, and pale complection he matched the room perfectly.  
I wondered where he got the clothes from, but figured this place was probably stocked with stuff like that.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me.  
"Great" I sighed.

"Theres something I need to tell you" he said, uncomfortably.  
"Anything" I breathed, I didn't even care how stupid and love-struck that sounded.

"You see-" he stopped midsentence.  
His face perked up, his eyes became extra alert.

"Their coming" he whispered.  
"Who?" I asked.

Then the door opened.


	14. I Hate Everything About You

**_"Mood Swings" _**

The door opened, revealing several people.  
A man, a woman, and several people I had classified as guards.

The man was tall, and wore a black suit. He had greying brown hair. He looked around 40, or 50.  
He was generally good-looking. That is, if your into old dudes, which I am not.

The woman was a lot younger. She seemed around 18.  
She had long platinum blond hair, that reached all the way to her waist. She had a perfect pale complection too. She wore a long pink gown, that looked slightly mediveil.  
When she first walked in her eyes looked blue. Then after standing their for a second they shifted to gold.

She was very beautiful.  
And I hated her immediately.

She had this . . . _look _that just made her seem nasty.  
Horrible. A nightmare to be around.

The man and the woman both looked at us.  
I was lieing on the bed, recovering from the blood loss high. Austin stood next to me, facing them, looking pissed.

"I see you two have finally woken up" the woman said in a voice that should of sounded like sugar. But it just made me think of nails on a blackboard.  
"Sorry" Austin snarled sarcastically "But I tend to sleep a lot when I'm knocked out and drugged."

_"Drugged?" _I thought.

She laughed, I could tell it sounded like bells to the others, like all these painfully beautiful immortal's laughs did.  
But it sounded like a chain saw to me.

"What do you want, Aurora" Austin snapped.  
_"Oh" _I thought _"So _this _is the infamous Princess Aurora" _

"Well, we didn't kidnap you without reason" the older man said.  
Aurora laughed her jackhammer laugh "What my father means is, we want the same thing we've always wanted"

"I will not help you with your stupid world domination plan" Austin snarled "  
Aurora's father, the king spoke "After a few days in here you might change your mind"

"Don't hold your breath" Austin growled "Actually, feel free to suffocate"  
The king and the princess laughed. The king's laugh was okay, it wasn't painful like Aurora's, just annoyingly arrogant.

"We'll see . . ." The king said, in a very creepy voice, I might add.  
They turned to leave.

"No!" Austin shouted.  
They spun around.

"What is it you want Austin?" Aurora asked, in a voice like knives that was hopelessly trying to sound seductive.  
Nobody in the room seemed as annoyed by her voice or laugh like I was. I wondered why. . .

No" Austin repeated "Your not leaving until you tell me where my friends are."  
Aurora giggled annoying "Oh, your little freinds? There here, don't you worry your pretty little head about it. They here but, we couldn't have you all scheming together and plotting your escape."

"Then why did you put _us_ together?" Austin demanded.  
"We thought you might like a snack" she said smiling tauntingly.

"You bitch" he snarled, lunging towards her.  
Several guards blocked his way and pushed him to the floor.

"Bastards!" I screamed furiously, but was pretty much ignored.  
Austin stayed on the floor. But he extended his arm towards them . What appeared to be a mini flamethrower poured from his hand.

It hit the floor at their feet.  
And the carpet burst into blue flames.

The guards jumped back and ushered the king and princess out.  
Before they closed the door, Aurora poked her head and said "Sleep well Austin, it's going to be a busy day tomorrow"

He sprung up and ran to the door.  
He pounded his fists on the door

"Tell me where they are you hateful bitch!" he shouted.  
"Austin, calm down" I said quietly without getting up.

His head snapped around to glare at me with angry hostile eyes. "Why should I calm down!?" he shouted.  
He returned to banging on the door.

His fists began to glow blue.  
I could see the door starting to burn.

I got up. "Austin, Austin!" I shouted running up to him.  
I grabbed his arm "Austin, stop! We have to wait till there not expecting it!"

"NO!" he screamed and turned on me.  
He pushed me away lightly.

Then he turned the blue fire on me.

"You don't understand!" he shouted.  
The fire landed at my feet.

I jumped back trying to avoid the fire, and stumbled.  
I fell back on the floor, since I was still a little disoriented.

I fell on the plush carpet, it didn't hurt.  
I closed my eyes though, bracing my self, since I expected a harder impact.

I opened my eyes.  
Austin hovered above me.

Tears streaked his face.  
I just realized that I'd never seen him seen him cry before.

I was shocked.

"Rebecca?" he sobbed "Oh my God, are you okay? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"  
I didn't have a clue what was wrong with him.

"I'm so sorry! Did I burn you?" he continued.  
"No" I chocked, confused "I'm fine"

"I can't believe I did that" he moaned.  
"It's okay. . .you were just upset, it's okay" I tried to calm him down.

He got up.  
He began pacing around the room.

He stalked back and forth, like a caged animal.  
Trapped, angry, and dangerous.

"No, it's not" he growled "I shouldn't of done that! What the hell is wrong with me!?"  
He picked up one of the chairs and threw it into the wall. It broke.

"Austin, calm down" I ordered, standing up.  
I swear to God, he was losing it. He went from vulnerable, to infuriated, to sad, to infuriated again. All in like 10 minutes.

I was beginning to think he was bi-polar.  
Well, at least for the time being.

"No!" he shouted "Why should I!?"  
He set the remains of the broken chair on fire. The blue fire disintegrated the chair quickly.

He continued breaking things.  
Yelling, screaming, cursing, shouting.

It wasn't uncommon for him to work himself up into a major temper tantrum.  
But, what he was doing then, was just insane!

"Austeralgo!" I shouted, hoping the use of his full name would get his attention.  
It did.

He stopped, and looked at me.  
Their was madness shining in his silver eyes.

"Have you lost your goddamn mind!?" I demanded "What the hell is wrong with you!?"  
"It's I-" he stuttered "You-you don't understand"

"No, clearly I don't" I said, putting my hands on my hips "Now start explaining"  
"I don't know!" he shouted, seeming frustrated "It's I-I just get this way! After-after using the blue fire. It just-it just messes with my head. I can't-I can't think straight! "

Then he added in a broken whisper "It hurts"  
His voice was so sad and lost, that it made me feel like crying.

I walked closer to him, it may of been stupid since he seemed a little out it, but I didn't care.  
I stood directly in front of him, I only had to tilt my head just a little to meet his eyes.

"It's okay" I soothed "It's going to be okay"  
"How?" he whispered, massaging his temples.

"I'll make sure it is" I promised "Maybe you should take a little break from the blue fire though"  
"Okay" he murmured.

Then a strange intensity entered his eyes.  
It didn't seem angry exactly, more like hungry.

And then he was kissing me.


	15. My First Kiss

**_"Unexpected"_**

The kiss was rough and passionette.  
Full of lust and angst.

His lips crushed against mine.  
Moving against mine violently, but that somehow made the kiss better.

I didn't fight him. I mean, only one _stupid_ bitch would.  
I had dreamed of kissing Austin since I was 13. And now, 3 years later, my wish had finally come true.

Austin wrapped his arms around my waist.  
I couldn't help but wrap by arms around his neck, and intertwined my fingers into his soft hair.

Austin moaned and kissed me even harder.  
His tongue traced the outline of my lips, and I felt a shudder go down my spine.

I was very very confused, but I just kept kissing him.  
I was enjoying it too much to care what brought it on.

Then he suddenly pulled away.  
He broke our embrace and backed away from me.

His eyes were wide, shocked and disbelieveing.  
Almost in denial.

He shook his head back and forth slowly.  
"No, no, no" he murmered.

I didn't say anything.  
I just looked at him.

"I, I didn't mean to. . ." he trailed off.  
I could tell he wanted to run away, to avoid this conversation. But we were trapped in this room together, untill further notice.

Their was no escaping.  
"I- I-I'm sorry" he stuttered, seeming embarrassd and confused "I don't-I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to. . ."  
I could tell that was true, that he hadn't planned on doing that.

But I could also tell that he liked it. It took a lot to embarrass Austin, or even make him uncomfortable. So, the fact that he was all flustered now, meant something was up.

"Are you okay" he asked me hesitatly "I mean, did I hurt you?"  
"No" I whispered.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked "I mean, I know you couldn't stop me. . . Since I'm so much stronger then you. I couldn't tell if you-if you wanted me to stop. . ."  
"I'm not mad" I said, then I followed my gut and summoned all my courage for my next words "And I didn't want you to stop"

Austin seemed stunned.  
He didn't say anything for a minute.

Then he finally said "You. . . didn't want me to stop?" he asked seeming confused, like something about what I said was unclear.  
"No, I wanted that kiss to last forever" I told him, and then I said the three words I had imagined saying to him a million times

"I love you."

If he looked suprised before he looked absouloutly paralyzed.  
Like he couldn't even comprehend what I just said.

He didn't speak for a long time.  
"You. . . love me?" he managed.

"Yes" I whispered.  
"But you can't love me" he said, as if this was obvious.

"Why not" I demanded.  
"Because well. . . I'm a vampire!" he ranted, almost nervous babbling "And I, literaly, NEED a new girlfreind every two months. And your a human! And because- because . . . Because. . ."

He seemed to be struggling to say the last one.  
I was getting really impatient.

"And because what Austin" I demanded.  
"Because I'm in love with you too!" he shouted.

_"Oh. My. God."_ I thought _"Am I in some kind of drug induced hallucination? If so, don't wake me up."_

"What?" I managed.  
"Don't make me say it again" he moaned.

"You love me?" I asked, I asumed I must of heard wrong or was hullicinating.  
He sighed, seeming fustrated "Yes"

"Why didn't you ever tell me" I shouted randomly, I was pissed because if he had told me he loved me before I wouldn't have had to feeling such an empty driving pain.  
He reacted by becoming angry as well "I don't know! Maybe, because I was scared and confused! Did you ever think about that!?"

"You lied to me!" I countered.  
"No, I didn't!" he retorted "I never said 'I don't love you.' Then, I'd be lieing. And what about you!? You never told me you loved me either!"

"Well, I'm sorry if I was afraid you'd reject me!"  
"It's not my fault you have low self-esteem!"

"Well, it's hard to feel good about yourself when the guy you love is out screwing every whore in the school!"  
"Well, it's hard not to screw every girl in the school when every girl wants me to!"

"Your impossible!" I shouted, exsaperated.  
He didn't respond.

He seemed to be calming down.  
And he appeared to think very carefully before speaking.

"Is that why you love me?" he asked softly.  
I moved closer to him.

"Yes" I said "And because your funny, and smart, and athletic, and childish, and stubborn, and unreasonable"  
"I could say the same about you" he murmered.

He leaned in towards me.  
He was about to kiss me again and I, for one, couldn't be any more excited.

Then he stopped.  
His eyes became alert.

"Someone's coming" he said quietly "They heard all the noise and their coming to see whats going on"  
I cursed the Arthasians mentally.

Austin turned around to face the door.  
I peered around him to see.

The door opened, and a guard walked in.  
Only one.

He was tall, muscular, brunnette, generally good-looking.  
But he seemed just. . . horrible, personality wise.

"What's going on in here" he demanded, looking around the massacured room.  
"None of your buisness" Austin snarled "Now leave"

"Disagreable low-life" the gaurd muttered.  
He turned to leave.

"Bastard" Austin hissed.  
The guard spun around, clearly prepared to hurl verbal abuse.

"Why, you little brat" he spat.  
"Just leave us alone" Austin growled "You fugly jackass"

"Oh" the guard said with mock suprise "You want to be alone with, yet another lady freind?"  
"Fuck off!" Austin shouted "Or I'll fry your sorry ass"

I could see Austin's hands glowing that strange blue.  
I wanted the guard to burn too, but I didn't want Austin to lose it again.

Luckily, the guard was a little smarter then he looked, and left.  
Austin snarled "Good riddens"

He turned around to face me.  
"Sorry" he said softly.

"It's okay" I promised.  
"We have to get out of here" he told me bluntly.

"I know" I whispered.  
"No, I mean we have to leave _now" _he said.

"But what do we do about. . . " I trailed off.  
I gestured to him and then me.

"We'll worry about that later. But, first we have to get out of here. Were leaving. . . tonight"


	16. Break

_I, for one, think this chapter SUCKS. But, I can't think of a better idea. Don't worry, it'll get better. But, I don't think this chapter is that good. Feel free to diagree though. Anyway, I'd like 2 say thanks 4 all the awsome reviews! They make my day, and keep 'em coming! lol, please? I love wen ppl put wat was good, wat was bad, wat needs work, n their predictions in2 a review. It's great! Anyway, review plz!_

**_"Degrading" _**

"So what do we do?" I asked.  
"Do you know Abe Lincoln's famous line?"

"Sorta" I said, unsure "Didn't he have a lot?"  
"Well, yea" Austin said 'But this one is really important"

"Just tell me what it is, Austin" I grumbled.  
"C'mon" Austin said "I know you know this. I'm in your History class, we learned this"

"Yea" I groaned "But I never payed attention in that class. All I did was stare at you"  
He smiled "Well, I was mostly staring at you too, but I still remember this"

"Don't you have a photographic memory or something?" I accused.  
"Thats beside the point"

"Ummm. . . I don't know" I said "Can you just tell me so we can get on with our lives"  
"Fine" he said, rolling his eyes "The line is 'A house divided against itself can't stand'"

"So?"  
"Thats what I'm going to do" Austin said, his eyes bright with excitement.

"Your gonna do what?" I demanded.  
"I'm gonna divide the house" he said expectantly.

He waited for me to realize the brillancy of his plan.  
And my intelectual response was "What the hell does that mean?"

"I'll explain later" he said hyperly ". . . We've got company."  
"Who?" I wondered.

"You'll see" Austin told me "Now, just go stand over there. Your not gonna want to be involved."  
"I believe that" I mumbled as I went to go stand by the wall.

"Okay, now, this is important" Austin said urgently "What your about to see is going to be highly confusing and infuriating. But, please, just don't flip out."  
"That makes me concerned" I said.

"It's gonna be okay" he promised, and walked closer to the door.  
We were both silent.

I could hear light footsteps approaching.  
The guards posted outside greeted the voice.

They opened the door.

Princess Aurora walked in, flanked by armed guards.  
_"Lovely"_ I thought dryly.

"Hello, handsome" Aurora said, trying to provoke him.  
Well, I don't know about Austin, but she surely was provoking me.

"Hey" Austin muttered.  
"Surely you know why I'm here" Aurora purred, disgustingly.

"Why would I expect any different" he said dully, marginally less excited.  
This made me more worried.

"Good" she said cheerfully "Then I don't have to repeat myself. Now, don't struggle. . . it'll only make it worse."  
She placed her hands on his shoulders, holding him in place.

The guards on either side of him tensed.  
Aurora leaned in towards him, she was only about an inch shorter then him.

I didn't like where this was going.

She placed her lips against his neck.  
She nuzzeled his neck and murmered "Hold still."

Then she bit him.

I chocked on a scream.  
I cursed her out in my head _"That no good fucked up tramp! She must be destroyed!" _

I was completly outraged but I didn't do anything, yet.  
Instead I watched, horrified, as she drank his blood.

She moaned in pleasure.  
Austin wasn't nearly as thrilled.

He fidgeted ucomfortably and even whimpered.  
But he didn't fight her.

I, at least, expeced him to try.  
He was much stronger then her, but he didn't fight back.

If I was as strong as him then I would of ripped out her throat already.

After an endless amount of time, she stopped.  
She pulled away and whiped blood off her mouth.

"See" she cooed, irritatingly "That wasn't so bad was it."  
Austin hung his head "No" he muttered.

"Thats what I thought" she chriped.  
I could hear Austin grinding his teeth.

"Same time tommorow?" she asked.  
Austin perked up, eagerness lighting up his eyes.

"Uh, no can do" he jumped at the opprutinity "Fama said she was coming by tomorrow."  
Aurora seemed astounded and pissed.

"Why, that pathological little skank" she muttered "I told her to back off. She'll be sorry."

"Oh" Austin said, biting on his lip to hold back a smirk "Well, I guess I'll see you later."  
"Mhm" she mumbled, deep in thought.

She left and the guards followed.  
I waited 'till I assumed they were gone before I exploded.

"What the hell was that about!?" I demanded.  
"That was the beginning of my plan" Austin said, smiling.

I ignored him "Why was she drinking your blood!?"  
"Because she likes to see me suffer" he said simply.

"But your a vampire - why would a vampire drink another vampire's blood?" I asked, confused.  
He shrugged "Vamps do it all the time, recreational purposes."

"Well, isn't it- I don't know- degrading?" I asked.  
"Yes, actually it's humiliating" Austin muttered "Thanks for asking"

"Then why didn't you fight back" I asked.  
"I have to save my energy for the escape" he told me.

"Okay. . . but who's Fama?" I asked "And what is this plan your talking about?"  
"Fama is Aurora's sister You see, the King wants me to marry one of his daughters, that way, I'll be Arthasian and join them in their twisted war effort. Well, Fama and Aurora both wanted to marry me, don't know why, don't care. Anyway, they made some kind of screwed up deal. And, the gist of it was that Fama would leave me alone. I don't know what she got out of it, though" Austin elaborated "And my plan is to divide the house. Pit the sisters against each other."

"And how does that help us escape" I asked.  
"You'll see. . . just trust me on this" he said.

"Okay. . ." I said, unsure.  
"Good" he said "Now, I just have to deal with Fama. . ."

"What are you gonna do?" I wondered.  
"Scream and yell until the guards bring Fama here" he said simply.

"This I gotta see" I said, amused.  
He smiled, and walked over to the door.

He beat his fists on the door.  
Then he started yelling.

"Hey! Anybody out there!? Hello!?"  
I heard footsteps approaching. Voices were outside the door.

"What do you want?" a voice snapped.  
"I need to speak to Princess Fama!" he shouted.

"The Princess doesn't have time to deal with you" a gruff voice responded.  
"Its important!" Austin yelled.

"Shut up!" one of the guards ordered.  
"Not until you get the princess!" Austin shouted, still banging on the door.

"Why don't you go take a nap, you little brat" a guard muttered.  
"Not likely!" Austin shouted.

One of the guards said sarcastically "The only reason your still breathing, kid, is cause if we kill you then theirs gonna be an apocalypse. Remember that."  
"Whatever. Just get Fama godamnit!"

"Just shut up!" a guard shouted "Before I come on there and snap your neck, Blondie!"  
"Call me Blondie one more time, and I'll snap _your _neck" Austin retorted.

"You know what" a guard mused "The only thing your good for is to be a blood donor to Princess Aurora"  
I still didn't know what the term 'blood donor' meant to immortals. But, chances were, it was derogotory.

"Why don't you say that to my face, coward!" Austin shouted.  
"Because you'll attack me and then I'll have to kill you" the guard said simply "And Princess Aurora would be very displeased if I killed her little sex toy."

The idiotic guards burst out laughing.  
That was the last thing I felt like doing.

_"I"M GOING TO KILL THEM!!!!!!!!!!" _I thought, outraged.

Austin didn't scream like I thought he would.  
Like I was about to.

Instead, he turned to face me slowly.  
He looked at me steadily.

Then in a very calm voice he said "Okay, _now, _I'm going to kill him"  
"Do it before I do" I growled.

He nodded and turned towards the door.  
Then he started screaming "Get me the fucking princess before I burn down this fucking door and _kill_ you!!!!!"

"Oh, go to hell" a guard muttered, seeming bored.  
"You first, bitch!!!" Austin shouted.

"Just get the goddamn kid the princess" one of them moaned _"before _I lose my hearing"  
"Fine. . . " one of them grumbled "Let's go"

I could hear their footsteps getting fainter.  
Austin turned to me, and smiled "Mission accomplished"

I didn't say anything.  
And I didn't smile back.

He frowned "What's wrong?"  
"I'm going to murder those guards" I answered.

"It's okay" Austin said soothingly "When we break out we can barbecue them."  
"Tell me more" I breathed.

He laughed.

Then I could hear more footsteps.  
I heard the guards talking to a woman.

"He said he wouldn't stop screaming until we got you" a guard explained.  
A girls voice answered "It's alright. . .I'm curious to see what he wants, anyway"

Then the door opened, and Princess Fama walked in.


	17. Another You

**_******Austin's POV******_**

Princess Fama walked in.  
She looked the same as always.

Long blonde hair, color changing eyes, hot body.  
Same old, same old.

You know, after dating countless hot bimbos. . .you kind of get tired of them.  
I mean, their all the same!

Which is one of the many reasons I love Becca.  
She's different, she's special.

She's nothing like any girl I've ever dated before.  
Everything is different.

She has natural mildly tan skin, opposed to tanning-bed tanned skin.  
She has light brown hair opposed to bleach blond.  
She wears black band-tees opposed to skimpy pink tank tops.  
She thinks for herself opposed to being a brainless bimbo.

So, yea, she's nothing like any girl I've ever dated before.  
So, I'm kinda figuring things out as I got along this time.

Hopefully, that will work.

Princess Fama smiled at us, she was generally the nicer of the sisters.  
Which sucks, because I'm supposed to marry the nasty whore one.

Which is _so _not going to happen.  
Not as long as I'm breathing.

"Hello, Austeralgo" she greeted me.  
Austin, Austin, for the millionith time, Austin!

"Hey" I said dully.  
"So, what is it you require"

To not be held captive!

"I just wanted to talk to you" I said.  
"Regarding" she prompted.

And now for Phase 2.

"Well, I'm not sure if I should tell you this" I lied flawlessly "But, I feel that it's only right that you know. Fama, Aurora is planning to steal the throne from you"  
"What!?" she said, completly losing the calm thing.

"She told me herself when she came to drink" I lied.  
I tilted my neck back to give her a better look of the bite mark Aurora had left, as proof.

"Why that little mendacious harlot" Fama muttered.  
Which is just a fancy way of saying _"That lieing whore" _

"She's planning to trick your father into letting her become the heiress to the crown" I continued lieing.  
_"_That deceitful vulgar strumpet" Fama growled.

Thats a really fancy way of saying "_That untrustworthy heartless hooker"  
_I find it really cool that I can curse people out with sophisticated words and they won't know it. All thanks to Fama.

"I know, I know" I said, trying for sympathy "It's horrible"  
"Oh, yes it is" she said, a sadistic smile coming across her lips "But not nearly as appalling as the catastrophe my vendetta will be"

I'm getting sick of translating her fancy-people mumble jumble.  
But, that means _"But not nearly as horrible as the mess my revenge will be" _

"Well, good luck with that" I said.  
"Serendipity has no influence on it" she said, grinning sadistically.

Which is a sophisticated way of saying _"Luck has nothing to do with it"  
_I wondered what Becca was thinking about all the strange words Fama was using. . .

"Well, anyway" I said "Hope you get her good"  
"Oh, Austeralgo, I assure you I will" she said, grinning cruely "that repulisive little mongrel won't detect it's approach"

Which means "_That filthy bitch won't see it coming"  
_I have to admit, thats a pretty cool way to say it.

"Yea, you should probably go" I said "You have a lot of. . .evil plotting to do"  
"Indubitably" she muttered "I am quite assiduous"

"Would it kill you to talk like a normal person?" Becca asked, randomly.  
I held back a smile.

"Yes, I am busy" Fama said with exaggerated dullness.  
Then she added in her normal perky voice "Wheres the rapture in that?"

Becca raised an eyebrow.  
I waved a hand, letting her know I would explain later.

"Well. . . I'm off the arrange the annihilation of my sister" she chirped "Thanks for the indication, Austeralgo"  
Then she skipped out of the room, not forgetting to close and lock the door behind her.

"She seems nice" Becca said "But, I couldn't understand a word she was saying."  
"Yea. . .she always talks like that. . .but you pick up on it"

"Okay. . .so whats a rapture?" she asked.  
"Fun" I told her.

"And strumpet?" she asked.  
"Hooker" I said, smiling.

She laughed "Oh my God, I have to remember that one"  
"Yea. . it's helpful to be able to curse people out with words they don't understand. But, it's more fun when they do understand"

She laughed "True . . . so all that talk about stealing the throne. . .thats a lie?"  
"Yep" I said, happily.

"Sneaky" she muttered in appreciation.  
"I always am" I said, smirking.

We were standing much closer now.  
I moved even closer and wrapped my arms around her waist.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck.  
Her blue eyes were shining with happiness, despite the fact we were prisoners of war.

"I have another word for you to define, Mr. Photographic Memory" she murmered.  
"And what word would that be?" I asked.

"What is a blood donor?"

I stiffened.  
Well, that killed the mood.

"Someone who donates blood" I said simply, hoping she would drop it.  
"I know _that_" she said, rolling her eyes "But, what does it mean around here? I mean, the way everyone says it. . .it just sounds really negatory"

"It is" I told her. I really didn't want to discuss it, but hell, I would have to tell her sooner or later.  
"And it means . . ." she prompted.

"To us, the term 'blood donor' is a combination of a snack and a sex toy" I said in disgust "Julie and Cassi were both my blood donors. And, as far as Aurora is concerned, I'm her blood donor"  
"Ohhhhh" she said, understanding coloring her tone "_That's _why you got so mad when Vesper called me your blood donor, and when that guard called you Aurora's blood donor"

"Yep" I grumbled "To a human; a blood donor is like a saint. To an immortal. . . not so much. Everyone around here considers blood donors garbage, lower then low. Good for nothing but sex and food."  
She let that soak in "So. . .techinically, aren't _I_ your blood donor?" she asked finally.

_"No" _I prattically snarled.  
"But you said-"

"No" I repeated "You aren't. Blood donors are determined by how the one their giving blood to thinks of them. _I'm _Aurora's blood donor because she thinks the only things I'm good for is blood and sex. But, to _me_ your like some kind of radiant enchantress. You couldn't be a blood donor if you tried"

She smiled "Thanks. . .but for the record, neither could you"  
I could tell my exspression darkened "I am, though. Princess Aurora thinks of me as a blood donor. . .therefor I am"

"Well, to me" she said "Your like a god"  
"Well, don't I feel special" I said, sarcastically. I was pretty touched by her sincerty, but better to show sarcasm then genuine emotion.

She wasn't hurt by the sarcasm.  
She did the same thing.

She laughed "You should"  
"Yep" I said.

She yawned "Wow, I'm tired. I think I'm gonna go to sleep. We can plan our eleaborate escape tommorow"  
"Okay. . . I think I'm gonna go to sleep too. . .between throwing blue fire around and losing a bunch of blood. . .I'm pretty beat"

I turned off the lights and we both layed down in that seriously comfy bed.  
Becca seemed to fall asleep instantly.

I just stared at the ceiling.  
I was exshausted, but I couldn't sleep.

"So . . . what are we gonna do once where out of here"  
Well, I _thought _she was asleep.

"I don't know" I said, shrugging "What we normally do, I guess. Go to school, go to parties, make fun of Kate, get speeding tickets, forge parents signatures, get drunk . . . love each other. . ."  
"I can live with that" she mumbled.

"Me too"


	18. No More

_This is an extremly LONG chapter, be warned. Anyway, back to Becca's POV. Hope u enjoyed Austin's POV, I might do it again sometime. . .Bcuz this story is far from over. Even after they escape. . .the drama will just keep coming, lol. Anyway, enjoy, review watever. And, oh yea, look up any words u don't no. :)_

**_"Liberation" _**

When I woke up I temporarily forgot where I was.  
All I could see was the pillow my face was buried in.

For a moment, I thought I was back home.  
And the recent events had been some kind of cold-medicine induced dream.

I was worried about the math test that I hadn't studdied for.  
And I wondered if my mom had washed my 'Skillet' t-shirt.

I thought about stopping by to watch Austin's football practice after school, Kate and I did that a lot.  
After a few minutes I decided to get up, worried that Ken and Jake would drive me crazy if I didn't get to Kate's before they woke up.

But when I rolled over, I wasn't in my room.

I was in the white, and slightly destroyed prison of a master bedroom.  
Austin was sitting on the white leather sofa, watching t.v.

"And the princess has awoken" he teased "Release the doves."  
"Cute" I muttered.

"I know, I know" he said, smirking.  
I threw my legs off the side of the bed, and my head spun a little.

I walked, slightly unsteady, towards Austin.  
I plopped down on the couch next to him, and cuddled up to his side.

He nonchantly wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I smiled to myself.  
We hadn't kissed since the first time, but we were getting more comfortable with each other.

And I was pretty much in heaven.

"So, will we be escaping today" I asked.  
"Hopefully, if things work out the way I planned . . . then Fama should show up a little after Aurora shows up to feed. The cat fight will begin, and we can use the distraction to bust everyone out. And then it's freedom, baby."

As promising as that seemed, I was still annoyed by one factor  
. "Am I gonna have to sit through another one of your feeding sessions with Aurora" I asked grimly.

"_You'll _have to sit through it?" he asked in disbelief "Don't you mean, I have to sit through another session? And, yes, I do have to go through another feeding session. Hopefully, the last. Two bites are gonna be enough of hassle to hide.I don't have the luxury of hiding the bite mark behind long hair. So, back at school I'll have to find a way to hide it or something. . ."

"A hickey?" I suggested.  
"From a chick with seriously sharp teeth" he muttered.

I laughed "You never tried to hide a hickey before"  
"Yea. . .but that's because their actually hickeys. . . not bite marks from a physco bitch"

I shrugged "Same thing"  
He laughed "Not _all _of my girlfriends have been physcos"

"No, but I think Aurora counts the same as 50 physco girls" I countered.  
"Aurora and I are not dating, nor have we ever" he tolld me firmly.

"Thats not what she says. . ." I trailed off mischievously.  
"She doesn't think I'm her boyfriend. She thinks I'm her boy toy. . .there's a difference"

"It's so strange to see you in a relationship where someone else is calling the shots" I mused.  
"It's not a relationship, though" he countered "It's more like slavery"

"Well. . .hopefully we'll make our exodus today and you can stop being Aurora's boy toy and start being mine" I teased suggestively.  
"Fine by me" he purred.

He leaned in closer to me, about to kiss me again.  
I closed my eyes, awaiting his soft lips to find mine.

But they didn't.

I opened my eyes.  
He was sitting there, looking very frustrated.

"Son of a bitch" he muttered.  
"What is it?" I asked.

"Feeding time" he announced glumly.  
"Oh joy" I said bitterly sarcastic.

"Just stay put" he said, getting up.  
He walked to the center of the room.

He held his ground and held his head up high. He looked confident and self-assured.  
Even though he was about to he used as a snack/sex toy.

I vowed to get Aurora back for putting Austin through that pain and humiliation.  
But vendettas, would have to wait.

Because I could hear Aurora outside talking to some guards

"No, go wait down the hallway" she said.  
"But, princess, what if he acts out" a guard said "Who will protect you?"

"He'll be good" Aurora promised "He was very well-behaved yesterday."  
They talked about him like he was a dog or something. I wanted to punch something, but I settled for digging my nails into the couch.

"As you wish princess" a guard said, I could hear footsteps leaving.  
Austin smiled triumphly, but quickly smothered the smirk.

The door opened and Aurora swept in.  
She wore a gold gown and her eyes were a mix of pink and red.

"Good afternoon Austin" she said, grinning maliciously.  
"Morning princess" he grumbled.

"So, baby, you ready?" she asked.  
"Yea" he muttered grudgingly, tugging his shirt collar to expose the base of his neck "Lets get this over with."

"You don't sound very excited" she noted.  
"Just because I'm your blood donor doesn't mean I'm going to jump at the chance to satisfy your every need" he snapped.

"Oh feisty" she said "You ever tried being obedient? It might work for you."  
"No chance, now can you just get with the humiliation?"

"With pleasure" she said, grinning, revealing her fangs.  
She leaned in, and pressed her lips against the side of his neck, the side without a bite mark.

"Now, be as good as yesterday and this will be nice and quick" she murmured before sinking her fangs in.  
He flinched when she bit him, but didn't freak out like I did.

I stayed quiet though, not wanting to ruin the escape plan.  
But it was a difficult task.

Especially when Austin looked like he was being tortured.

He didn't whimper or fidget as much as yesterday.  
But be shifted uncomfortably sometimes. And a few times a whine escaped his clenched teeth.

I wanted to scream and yell, and kick that filthy bitch's teeth in.  
Austin was probably feeling the same, but he kept a nice poker face.

After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled away and I assumed she was done with him.  
Their were two more fang marks on his neck now, and blood was trickling out of them.

Aurora leaned in again though.  
But didn't bite him.

Instead she placed a kiss smack on his mouth.

I had a major meltdown.  
I cursed her out in my head _"You filthy, rotten, no good, cheap, fucked up, bitchy little whore!!!!" _

Then I cursed her out, out loud.  
"You filthy, rotten, no good, cheap, fucked up, bitchy little whore!!!"

She didn't react though.  
She was so caught up in kissing him that I doubt she even heard me.

Austin didn't react, either.  
To my profanities, or Aurora's kiss.

He didn't kiss her back, and he didn't fight back.  
He stood still, stone-faced, as she kissed him.

Finally, she pulled away.  
I was breathing in short grasps, trying to remind myself that punching her in the face would only get me killed.

But didn't it make it less appealing.

"See" she said, in a flirtatious chastising manor "Its a lot easier if you don't fight me"  
"Mhm" he mumbled.

"Good" she said and then pecked him on the lips "See you tomorrow."  
_"Deep cleansing breaths" _I thought _"Deep cleansing breaths"_

Aurora turned to leave, and Fama walked in, alone.  
They were facing each other, head on, looks of disbelief clear on their faces.

Austin bit on his lip to hold back his smirk.  
I did the same.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here" Aurora spat.  
"Nor am I" Fama said, holding her head up regally "I assumed you'd be here. Consulting with your blood donor over your conspiracy to displace me"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Aurora demanded.  
"Don't disgrace my intellect with your fabrication, Aurora" Fama said, putting her hands on her hips.

"What are you talking about?" Aurora shouted, exsapaerated.  
"Don't feign to be impecable, Aurora" Fama said with disgust, gesturing to Austin "Your little plaything over their sold you down the river"

"If by that you mean, he sold _you _down the river, then yes, I know" Aurora said "He told me all about your plans to come here"  
"Plans?" she said, suprised "Their were no such things"

"Save it for someone who believes it, you lieing tramp" Aurora hissed "We had a deal. You get the throne, I get Austin. And you tried to con me out of it"  
"What is this blasphemy your speaking of!?" Fama demanded "I am highly aware of our negotiation, it is you who is unclear of its circumstances"

"I understand perfectly" Aurora growled ". . .that you have no respect for what belongs to others"  
"I could easily make that assumption about you" Fama snarled "And I have never harmed one of your belongings before. . .until now"

Then, with a malicious smirk, Fama strode around the dumbstruck Aurora.  
She glided towards Austin, who stood paralyzed by confusion.

She placed her hands on Austin's shoulders firmly.  
His eyes widened, as he began to comprehend.

"My apologies, Austeralgo" she said pleasantly.  
She pressed her lips to the middle-left of his throat.

And bit him.

I screamed "You little bitch!"  
Aurora seemed in agreement and shouting "You backstabbing whore!"

Austin seemed to be in complete shock, but still had the will to fight back.  
He pushed her away.

He winced when her fangs were ripped from his throat.  
Fama stumbled back, but caught herself quickly.

Blood was trickling from the bite.  
He now had another mark to add to his collection.

"See?" Aurora said smugly "He's faithful to _me. _He doesn't want you"  
"Nor do the populace of Arthasnia want you as their monarch" Fama said pleasantly, wiping the blood off her lips.

"Oh thats it bitch" Aurora said, and punched Fama in the face.  
I didn't think that little pampered princess could throw a punch, but damn was it cool.

Fama stumbled back, and caught herself.  
"Why you little blasphemous nymphomaniac" Fama growled and lunged at Aurora.

She slammed Aurora into the wall, and punched her in the face.  
Aurora kicked her in the stomach though, and she fell.

It had to be _the _coolest cat fight ever.

They were beating the crap out of each other!  
But, I never got to see who won.

Austin grabbed me by the arm.  
"C'mon" he whispered "Now's are chance"

I nodded, and we both slipped out the door into the empty hallway"  
None of the sisters noticed us as they brawled.

"We did it!" I whispered excitedly.  
"That was the easy part" he whispered back "Now here comes the challenge"


	19. Rebirthing

_**Be warner: This is my longest chapter EVER! In the history of my writing. Yea, thats long. So, yea enjoy. You might want to listen to **"Rebirthing" by Skillet **in the beginning. I think it makes it seem cooler. The lyrics have nothing to do with this chapter . . . .but it's an awsome song and the beat really makes the chapter seem more exciting. Anyway, enjoy! **_

* * *

**_"Coming Home" _**

"What do we do?" I whispered.  
"Okay, heres the plan. Their down that hallway. Their rooms are the first few doors. The guards are down towards the end, guarding the exit. I'll take care of the guards, you bust everyone out. Okay?

"Yea . . . But how do I break down the doors?"  
"With this" he told me.

He pointed to the emergency fire axe inside the glass case.  
And then he smashed the glass with his fist.

He picked up the axe with ease and handed it to me.  
It was heavier then it looked, and I staggered under it's weight.

"Be ready" he told me, and then disapeared down the corner.  
In about second I could clearly hear screaming, yelling, and crashing sounds.

I took a deep breath, and rounded the corner.  
The hallway _was_ really long.

An almost endless hallway of white doors.  
Far down the hallway I could see Austin battling with a bunch of guards.

Their was blue fire all over the place and blood.  
I looked away.

I marched to the first door, and lifted the axe.  
I brought it down on the door with as much force as I could.

I did this over and over again untill their was a nice sized hold in the middle of the door.  
I expected a guard to attack me or something buy they a seemed to busy fighting Austin.

I slipped into the hole in the door.  
It was pitch black inside, and I blindly placed the axe down against the wall.

"Hello?" I called softly.  
No answer.

I felt along the wall for the light switch.  
When I found it I flipped on the lights.

The room looked the same as the one we were in.  
Only, not destroyed.

Passed out on the bed was Domingo. He was covered in bruises and blood.  
"Domingo!" I shouted as I rushed up to him.

I shook him violently.  
"Wake up, Domingo!" I shouted "Wake up! Or so help me God you'll be sorry! C'mon wake up!"

He finally stirred. "Huh, What?" he said, rubbing his eyes.  
"C'mon! We have to get out of here!"

"Where in Arthasian" I told him urgently "C'mon we have to get out of here!"  
He caught on quickly, and jumped up.

He ran out the door and I followed.  
He ran to the door across from his.

He ripped it right off the hinges, and tossed it aside.  
"Go get her!" he shouted at me before running down the hall towards he guards.

He shifted into his wolf self and started fighing alongside Austin.  
I walked hesitantly into the bright room.

Their were bright ultra-white lights hanging from the ceiling.  
It was bright, too bright.

The room was pretty undisturbed.  
The white furniture almost looked like it was glowing in white light.

Slumped on the floor in the rays of light was Kate.

"Kate!" I shouted, runnng up to her.  
I kneeled next to her. "Kate? Kate!?" I shouted.

She was laying down on the floor, motionless.  
Her long blond hair was draped over her face.

I brushed the hair out of her face.  
Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't breathing.

"Kate! Wake up!" I shouted, almost sobbing "Wake up! C'mon, please wake up!"  
There was no response.

"Kate!!" I sobbed "Wake up! Please, please wake up. . .please. . ."  
I sat there, crying over her motionless body for a few minutes.

I looked up at the ceiling, tears streaming down my face.  
I was blinded by the bright light.

I found that highly annoying.  
I was sitting there, greiving the death of my best freind, and that goddamn light was blinding me.

Then the idea came to me.  
Vampires were ultra-senstive to light.

I got up, unsteadily, and walked over to the light switch.  
I flipped the switch, and it became dark. . .the only light coming from behind the partially closed door.

I stood there,in the darkness.  
Waiting for something to happen, for anything to happen.

I heard a faint groggy moan.  
And light panting breaths.

"Kate?" I called softly, afraid to really hope she was alive.  
"Becca?" she called back.

Relief and joy exploded in my chest.  
I wanted to hug her, but I couldn't see her.

"Huh? What's going on? Where are we?" she asked.  
"Where in Arthania" I panted, throwing the axe around and all that adrenaline had me winded.

"Wheres Austin" she demanded.  
"He's down the hallway, him and Domingo are fighting the guards."

I could hear her footsteps as she bolted for the door.  
I followed her out.

She was already down the hallway, grappling with some guards.  
I sighed, and picked up the axe.

I was about to break down another door, but a hand touched my shoulder.  
I spun around, with the axe held above my head, ready to use it as a weapon.

And I nearly hit Austin with it.

"Oh my God" I breathed "You scared me."  
He nodded bleakly "Let me help."

And then, before I could respond, he ripped the next door off it's hinges.  
And then the next, and then the next, and then the next.

And then, without a word, he instantly flew back down the hallway to rejoin the fight.  
Mars and Jupiter emerged from one of the doors.

They both had a feverish, ravenous look about them.  
But they quickly changed into lions and stormed down the hall.

Tora stumbled out of her room next, looking pretty out of it.  
She didn't join the others, instead she went to me.

"Becca?" she gasped "Are you alright?"  
"I'm fine . . . " I said, confused.

I saw Ralph emerge from his room, shift, and join the fight.  
She looked around wildly.

"Where's Diablo?" she demanded.  
"I don't know. . ."

She looked at one of the rooms that doors had been ripped off.  
Nobody had come out.

She bolted into it, and I followed her.  
The room was the same as all the others.

Sitting on the floor, looking like he was in agony, was Diablo.  
Little wooden peices, that looked like really sharp toothpicks, were plunged into his arms.

Covering them so that there wasn't an inch of arm without a pecie of wood in it.  
He looked like he had given up on trying to remove them.

"Mercful heavens" Tora shouted and ran up to him.  
I never thought I would actually hear someone say that. . .

She kneeled next to him.  
He seemed barely conscience.

_"This is inhumane. They are sick. Who knows what other methods of torture they've been using." _I thought in outrage.

"Help me get these out" Tora ordered me.  
I nodded, and kneeled next to her.

She was plucking the toothpicks out of his left arm gently.  
I did the same to his right arm.

I gingerly took them out of skin.  
He winced in pain each time, but almost a good kind of pain.

By the time we were done he seemed a thousand times better.  
He seemed more then better, he seemed pissed.

"Thanks" he muttered to us, though I doubted we were who we was mad at.  
He stormed out of the room, and down the hall.

Without a doubt, to go take his anger out on the guards.  
I wished I could do that.

"We have to find an exit" Tora told me.  
I nodded, and she grabbed my wrist and brought me into the hallway.

She led me to a large class window.  
Probably about 15 wide.

It was overlooking a city that looked like Bellonna.  
Only their was something different I couldn't put my finger on. . .

"Ok, once their done fighting we all leave this way" she told me.  
"How do you all know what to do?" I asked "How do you know who's supposed to fight, and who's supposed to find an exit, and who's suposed to take care of people who were hurt. . . You didn't plan it . .

She smiled grimly "Instinct."  
Then Tora placed her hands against the glass and murmred to herself.

It was too quiet to hear.  
After about a minute she stopped.

"Damn it" she swore "The spell is too powerful for one witch. . . and I don't have any potions. . . fuck, what to do, what to do. . ."

She was deep in thought, and all I could think about how much I wanted eveything to go as planed.  
How badly I wanted to get out of there.

And then the glass just disapeared.

No shards, no glass, no loud noises.  
The glass was just gone, vanished.

"What the-" Tora exlcamed "That spell needs two witches for it to work. . . how in the world-"  
Just then, everyone came running down the hall.

"Go!" Domingo shouted "Go now!"  
"Don't have to tell me twice" Mars said.

Mars and Jupiter jumped out without hesitation, despite the fact we were at least 20 stories up.  
Diablo and Ralph jumped next.

Still looking puzzeled, Tora jumped.  
A weird blueish smoke surronded her as she fell.

Kate looked at Domingo, urging him to jump.  
He shook his head, and waited for her to jump first.

She shrugged, and gracefully leaped from the window.  
Looking satisfied with her departure, Domingo jumped.

Austin looked at me.  
"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded.  
He slung me over his back and jumped.

I watched as the ground got closer and closer.  
I braced myself for impact, but Austin landed flawlessy.

As if he was jumping two feet instead of 200 feet.

At the ground everyone was there.  
The city around us looked like Bellonna.

Greek buildings, columns, immortals . . .  
We were standing in what looked like a parking lot.

Their were big black SUV's all over.  
_"Probably for kidnapping people"_ I thought dryly.

We watched as Domingo put his fist through one of the car windows.  
After the glass shattered he put his hand inside the window.

He unlocked the car door, and got in.  
"I'll hotwire it!" Diablo called.

"Why do you get to hotwire it" Jupiter complained.  
"Because grand theft auto is my specialty" Diablo said, rolling his eyes "If we were robbing a bank, then you could do it"

Jupiter grumbled as we got in the car.  
Austin rolled his eyes.

Domingo was driving, Diablo had shotgun, Jupiter and Mars had the second row.  
Tora, Ralph, and Kate had the third row. And me and Austin had jumped in the trunk.

It didn't surpise me that this trunk was big enough to hold at least 5 people.  
They probably put most of their kidnapped victims back here. . .

Diablo got to work hotwiring the car.  
I had no idea how he planned to do it, though.

But after puttering around the car for a little over a minute, he had it running.  
"Success" he hissed happily.

"I've never been so happy for your criminal tendencies untill today" Domingo muttered.  
"Thank you, that means a lot to me" Diablo said sarcastically.

In about a second we were on the road.  
Doing at least 150.

It was the kind of driving that made me fear for my life.  
It was just like driving with my older brother, Jake.

"Oh my God" Mars moaned "I would kill for a hamburger right now. . ."  
"I know" Jupiter added "With really greasy fries, and a beer"

"Stop it!" Ralph groaned "Your _killing _me"  
"Sorry" Mars apologized "But we haven't eaten in days. . ."

"Neither have I" Ralph muttered dryly.  
"So that was your torture too?" Jupiter asked.

"Yep" Ralph said "And being knocked out with something silver. . . and really hard"  
"I rather be starved then turned into a living vodo doll" Diablo muttered.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked curiously.  
"They stuck wooden shards into my arms" Diablo told her bitterly.

"Holy fuck that must of hurt" Austin said sympthatically.  
We were sitting together in the trunk, leaning against the door.

We couldn't see anybody else.  
But we could hear them.

"Yea, no kidding" Kate added "Although, I'm not sure if its worse then being exsposed to ultra-white lights. . ."  
"Ow" Diablo muttered "Well, at least they didn't exspose you to sunlight for all that time. . . that would suck"

"Yea, I'd be dead" Kate said drly.  
"No you wouldn't" Austin said, rolling his eyes "You'd be in coma"

"Oh, thats so much better" Kate muttered sarcastically.  
"At least you weren't drugged" Tora added.

"I was" Domingo said "We something really heavy. I was pratically in a coma"  
"Same" Tora said "But they weren't smart enough to give me something that dulls my magic. . . idiots"

"Yea" I added "They drugged us too. Although, it wasn't that strong. . .it only knocked us out for a couple of hours"  
"What else happened to you guys?" Jupiter wondered.

"Well. . ." I said, remembering "They pretty much ignored me. But they did use Austin as a snack"  
He gave me a hard glare, and I shrugged.

They were gonna find out sooner or later.  
Hell, they might of already known. You know, from the bite marks.

"Damn!" Jupiter exclamed "They turned you into a blood donor! Damn!"  
Austin growled.

"Sorry, sorry" Jupiter backtracked "But it's true you know"  
"It's also true that if you call me a blood donor one more time, I will kick your ass" Austin snarled.

"Shutting up" Jupiter said abrutly.  
I snickered.

"Giving blood. . .that musta sucked" Mars muttered, changing the subject.  
"No shit" Austin retorted.

"How many times did you get bitten" Ralph wondered curiously.  
"Three" Austin said emotionlessly.

"Ow" Jupiter said "Was it Aurora again?"  
"Yea. . .well, it was her twice. The last one was from Fama"

"_Damn" _Diablo said "Thats crazy. Three bites in two days? That some crazy shit. Shouldn't you be like, uncoiscnese? After so many bites and no blood?"  
"I had blood" Austin said, grimly. Cleary, not wanting this brought up.

"What!?" Kate asked, seeming pissed "They gave you blood but not me!? That's messed up. . ."  
"They didn't actually give me blood. . ." Austin said sheepishly.

"Austin" Kate said between gritted teeth "Tell me you didn't. Please, tell me you didn't"  
"Oh, but I did"

"You little son of a bitch" she growled.  
"Wouldn't that make you a daughter of a bitch?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Whatever, you know what I mean" she snarled "I told you not to bite my freinds. _Ever"  
_"Don't get pissed at me" Austin defeneded himself "It was her idea"

"Thanks" I mouthed sarcastically.  
"It was your own fault for brining up the biting thing" he whispered.

"Becca!" Kate exclamed "Why would you do that!?"  
"Hey!" I defended myself "If I didn't, we'd still be there"

"That-I-uh-you, thats beside the point!" she stuttered.  
"Well, Kate you see, me and Austin are-" I was cut off when we veered sharply to the left.

I fell onto Austin.  
Who fell into the wall.

There was a collective "Woah!" from everybody as we swerved.  
I could imagine them all tumbling to the right.

Me, and Austin readjusted ourselves.  
I stood up, holding the seat for support, and looked out the window.

We were in a dark cave-light tunnel.  
No other cars were there.

Thank God the Arthasians believe in cars.  
Or we would of been screwed.

"Were almost out of Arthasian" Domingo reported.  
"Halleljuah!" Diablo rejoiced.

"Yea. . .then we can get on with our lives" Austin muttered.  
"You realize things are gonna be different now" Domingo checked.

"Sadly, I do" Austin muttered.  
"We have to tell the Council you've been found. Were gonna have to have a meeting with them. Set up a new protection system. . ." Domingo trailed off.

"Whoop-de-fuckin-do" Austin muttered dryly "Can we at least do it in a few days. Because I'm gonna be dead untill further notice"  
"Fine. . .I'll scheldule it for next week" Domingo agreed.

"Good. . ." Austin said "Now, nobody bother me. I'm gonna be dead untill we get home"  
A minute later he was sound asleep.

I figured some of the others were sleeping too.  
Because it became very quiet.

I stood on my knees, to look out the window.  
We were back in the human world.

It was evening, maybe five or six.  
It was rush-hour.

Cars were zooming around us.  
And there were buildings everywhere. . .

It felt amazingly good to be back in the human world.

I sunk back to the trunk floor.  
And fell asleep too.

****

When I woke up we were parked in the Kardigan's driveway.  
And it felt so fammilar and safe that I almsot wanted to cry.

Austin shook my shoulder gently "Wake up, Becca"  
"I'm up, I'm up" I told him.

Domingo opened the trunk and we climbed out.  
Everyone was heading for the Kardigan's front door.

Mr. and Mrs. Kardigan opened the door.  
Looking like they might faint from relief.

"Austeralgo, Hekate!" Mrs. Kardigan rejoiced as she scooped up her children into a tight hug.  
"Suffocating. . ." Austin muttered.

She released them.  
"I've missed you so much!" she cried.

Then, like a light switch, her mood changed.  
From joyful to angy.

She smacked Austin upside the head.  
"You had me worried sick!" she said "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"Okay. . ." he muttered, looking down at his feet.  
Mr. Kardigan hugged his children then too.

Mrs. Kardigan then gave me a hug.  
"I'm so glad your alright" she said "Your parents have been worried sick about you!"

I groaned.  
I could imagine what my parents would do to me, and it made _me_ sick with worry.

"Come inside" Mrs. Kardigan said, ushering everyone inside.  
We all went into the rec room, not as small and not as fancy as their living room.

Mars and Jupiter both jumped into two bean bag chairs, not surpsing.  
Ralph, Tora, and Diablo all sat on one of the leather couches.

Domingo sat in a recliner, looking as serious as ever, but secretly pleased.  
Mr. Kardigan sat in an identical recliner.

Mrs. Kardigan sat on a black leather couch.  
Her children on either side of her, her arms around their shoulders.

Apparently, Mrs. and Mr. Kardigan knew we had all been kidnapped.  
When the Council found out they contacted them.

Mr. Kardigan picked up the phone and told the Council we had been rescued.  
Also, he grudgingly schelduled a hearing with them a week from today.

We were all talking about what had happened.  
It was surpisngly relaxing.

I glanced at the clock.  
It read, 11:56.

"It's getting late" I said, getting up "I should probably get going. My parents are gonna lose it if I don't show up soon"  
"I'll walk you" Austin got up too.

Everyone eyed him suspiciously.  
But they shrugged it off and continued talking.

Except for Kate.  
Who was watching us with narrowed silver eyes.

"I'll see you at school" I told her, avoiding eye contact.  
"Yea. . ." she murmered, deep in thought "See ya"

Austin walked me to the door and down the street.  
The streets were empty.

No cars, no people.  
That's Cold Springs for you, dead after 11.

Except of course for random misbehaving teenagers.  
But, it was a Tuesday (according to Mrs. Kardigan) and nobody caused trouble on Tuesdays.

We saved it for Fridays, and weekends.

We didn't talk either.  
I assumed Austin had came to make sure I got home safely.

When we were a block away from my house, I saw lights up ahead.  
Flashlights, scowering around.

I froze.

Austin stopped when I did.  
Watching the figures approaching us.

They were only ten feet away now.  
I could see who they were in the dim sreet lights.

I knew them anywhere.  
"Damn" I cursed.

It was my brothers.

* * *

**That is the longest chapter I have ever written. It took 4ever!!! The first part with the escape sucked pretty badly but I thought the rest was okay. The next chapter should be epic! I'm really excited about it. And then with them going back to school, and confronting Becca's parents, and their freinds, and seeing the Council. . .yea, this is only the beginning. Anyway, this chapter is so long bcuz I cudn't pick a good spot to end it. . .So yea. This is 4,006 words! 4,006! Thats 4x longer then a normal chapter! So, yea. . .now you know why it took a couple of days. . . Anyway, let me know what you think. And please review! C'mon! Were almost to the 100 review mark! It always makes me happy wen 1 of my stories hits 100. So, yea, make me happy please! :)**


	20. Drop Of Jupiter

**_"Returning" _**

The group in front of us looked like a search party.  
People had flashlights and were shining them all over the place.

I immediately recognized the two in front as Jake and Ken.  
The group behind them were their friends, a few of them where Austin's friends too.

They shined the flashlights over us.  
Austin closed his eyes, so they wouldn't shine in the glow of the flashlight.

"Rebecca!" Jake exclaimed in shock and relief.  
"Its me" I sighed.

Jake and Ken were both 18. They were fraternal twins. But they still looked pretty similar. Tall, mahogany colored hair, mildly tan skin, blue eyes. Although Ken was a little taller and had more serious eyes. Jake had a more playful gleam in his eyes, and shaggier hair. But they were basically the same. They both drove me crazy, and were about to drive me off the deep end.

"Where have you been!?" Jake demanded.  
"Austin!" one of Austin's friends, Nick said "Where you been?"

Before Austin could answer, Jake turned on him.  
"You!" he shouted "What did you do!? Where did you take her!?"

Still squinting, Austin growled "I didn't do anything."  
"You lieing little bastard" Jake muttered.

"Hey!" Austin snapped, moving in closer to Jake.  
"Stop it!" I said "Both of you, cut it out."

The October wind blew my hair into my face.  
I nonchalantly tossed it over my shoulder.

I looked at Jake's wide shocked eyes.  
"What?" I asked.

His eyes were on my neck.

_"Aw Fuck"_ I thought.  
I was screwed and I knew it.

I hadn't remembered to keep my hair around my neck.  
The bite mark was clearly visible.

Jake turned the flashlight on Austin again.  
Zoning in on the three prominent bite marks.

"Why you little fucked-up son of a bitch" he cursed before punching Austin in the face.  
"Jake!" I shouted in fury.

Austin stumbled back a little from the unexpected blow.  
But Jake was no match for Austin.

And now Austin was pissed.

He glared at Jake, yellow eyes blazing.  
Literally.

You think Jake would be freaked out, seeing as Austin's eyes were glowing like cat eyes.  
But no, Jake barely seemed to notice the eyes.

Austin moved closer to Jake, and knocked the flashlight out of his hand.  
It was a smart move.

"Now, I'm gonna tell you this one more time, Callaway" Austin snarled "I. Didn't. Do. Anything. So, fuck off"  
"Then explain to me why my sister has a hickey and you have three!" Jake shouted "I find that a little suspicious"

"That's really none of your buisness" Austin snapped "I don't have to answer to you."  
"Yes, you do" Jake retorted "Because if you don't start explaining what the fuck is going on. . .then I'm gonna fuckin strangle you"

Austin laughed "Good luck with that"  
"Seriously, Kardigan" Jake snapped "Start explaining"

Austin and Jake were standing directly in front of each other.  
Jake was slightly taller then Austin, but I found Austin much more intimidating.

Not only was Austin known for not taking shit from anyone.  
But, in the dim light from the lamposts, you could see his fangs starting to appear.

"Make me, bitch" Austin hissed.  
"Oh, I will" Jake threatened.

"Stop it" I snapped "Both of you stop it. Jake, leave Austin alone, this wasn't his fault. And, Austin, just go home for now before one of us kills Jake"  
Austin nodded tensely.

He bared his teeth a little at Jake, muttered "Fagot" and stalked off.  
"See ya later Becca" he called nonchalantly over his shoulder.

I turned to face Jake.  
"Let's talk about this at home" I ordered.

He grabbed my arm and yanked me hard.  
Pulling me in the direction of the house.

"Okay. . .okay" I said "I'm coming."  
Jake merely grunted in response.

_"Helpful" _I thought.

Jake and Ken's friends dispersed.  
All going in different directions.

As I approached my middle-class house, I sighed.  
Not only did this place look unbearably bleak after seeing such amazing things, but I would also never be allowed out of it again.

Our house was nice, normal, but nice.

It was two stories, with tan sidings. A rap around porch, complete with wooden benches. A black door and black window shutters. A dull green lawn, full of piles of leaves Jake and Ken raked. In our driveway was a basketball net, and my parent's cars. A boring as fuck black prius, my mom's of course. And a 2007 Ford Mondeo Sedan, my dad's.

We opened the unlocked door, into the living room.  
Boring as hell, of course. Brown leather couches, decent sized flat screen, a coffee table with various magazines, and then rugs and knicknacks and clocks and other shit you find in a normal living room.

My dad was standing against the wall, talking urgently on the phone.  
My mom was sitting on the couch, flipping through a phone book. . .

My dad is in his mid-fifties, and your basic everyday dad.  
He has thinning light brown hair, a serious face, and contrastingly bright blue eyes. He works as a teacher in a school, two towns over. Thank God. . .

My mom is in her mid-forties, and is like your standard working mother.  
She has long mahogany colored hair (which is where me and my brothers get it from) and dark eyes. She works as a pharmacist at our local drug store.

My parents have very different personalities.  
Which, I've always found puzzling.

My dad is the quiet one. He doesn't talk much.  
But he gives great advice. I only go to him, though, as a last resort. I'd much rather spill my problems to Kate or even my mom.

My mom is pretty chatty, which makes up for some of his quietness.  
She's very motherly, and I've always thought her biggest fear is that someone in our house would go hungry. Whenever she was home, she was cooking.

"We found her" Jake said gruffly.  
My parent's grim expression immediately lightened.

"Rebecca!" they rejoiced.  
They both hugged me tightly.

Jake stood to the side, arms crossed, watching with a serious expression.  
It reminded me faintly of a bouncer.

I saw Ken stalk upstairs.  
Probably to go on his computer or listen to music.

Well, that's what I would do.

"Where have you been" my mother cried.  
She didn't sound angry, more like worried sick.

Which was good. . . well, for me.

"It's a long story" I sighed, preparing my lie.  
My only hope was I could lie as well as Austin.

"You see" I continued "On Thursday, after the shooting, we were all kinda of freaked out. You know? So, we decided to relax by going for a drive. We didn't have any real plans, but we ended up in New York City. When we got there, we figured we'd stay a while. It was fun. . .at first. But then, while we were eating dinner at the Rock 'N Roll Cafe, somebody stole Austin's car. We-we didn't know what to do. We were gonna get a taxi or something. But, we kinda ended up in a particularly bad neighborhood. And, well, we sorta got mugged. No money, no taxi, you know? So, we were stranded there for a couple of days. And it was _not _fun, let me tell you. But, we ended up running into old friends of Austin's who gave us ride back"

"Oh my God" my mother breathed, hugging me tighter "Are you alright? You must be starving!"  
"No, Mom" I declined "I'm fine. I ate at the Kardigan's when we got here.

"Never do that again" my father said, gruffly "You could have been killed."  
"I know, I know. . ." I said, trying to sound annoyed.

But, really, I was ecstatic.  
I was really getting away with this.

Then Jake caught my eye.  
I immediately thought he was gonna squeal on me about (what he thought was) a hickey.

But, he didn't look like he was.  
But, you never know. . .

"Are you sure your alright honey?" my mom asked "Should we call a Doctor or something? Being stuck out in the city in October with no food. . .that can't be good"  
"No, Mom, really I'm fine. I'm just tired. Can I just go to sleep" I asked.

"Of course, of course" she mumbled, seeming deep in thought.  
No doubt, considering calling a Doctor.

I walked upstairs, and Jake followed.  
He turned into his room but gave me a meaningful look before slamming the door.

I walked into my room, and shut the door.  
Laying on my bed, was my faithful chocolate lab, Stanley.

He was curled up on the foot of my bed.  
Waiting for me, no doubt.

"Hey there Stanley" I said, using that baby voice everyone uses with their pets "How's it going? Did you miss me?"  
He jumped off the bed, and came running towards me.

He sniffed my jeans, and wagged his tail excitedly.  
I kneeled down and pet him.

He sniffed me, and licked me, and whined excitedly.  
"I'm sorry, baby" I apologized "I'm back, though. See?"

He barked in, what seemed like, agreement.  
I laughed "Okay. . .but time for bed now okay, Stan? Becca's tired"

I turned the light off and hoped into bed.  
Not even bothering to change into pajamas.

Stanley lay contently at the foot of my bed.  
Sleeping peacefully, with his big head pillowed on his paws.

It didn't take me long to fall asleep.  
I was exhausted, and needed my rest.

Tomorrow would be an eventful day.


	21. Overrated

**_"Arrival" _**

It had almost felt weird to wake up in my room.  
With it's royal purple walls, and dark wooden furniture, and Stanley sleeping soundly at the foot of my bed.

I had half expected to wake up to the unnaturally white walls and furniture of our prison cell.  
I was pleasently surprised, to say the least.

I stretched, and rolled out of bed.  
I had fallen asleep in the jeans and t-shirt last night - not surprising.

I went to my closet to find suitable clothes.  
I decided something warm would be best, after being stuck in a t-shirt in October made me want to dress warmer.

A secret part of me wanted to dress girlier.  
To look nice for Austin.

But if I went from wearing a band t-shirt and converse to wearing heals and a halter. . .  
Well, then it would seem like I was trying to hard.

And I, sure as hell, didn't want to seem desperate.  
Which I'm not.

I threw on jeans, a black tee, and a thin black sweatshirt.  
Simple, complimentary, dark, and 100% me.

I went to the mirror, and applied some dark eye-liner.  
And then a little green eye-shadow and I was good to go.

I ran a hand through my messy dark curls and let them fall over my shoulder.  
Perfectly concealing the bite mark.

I grabbed my bag out of the corner of my room, where I had left it on Thursday.  
Then I slung it over my shoulder, and headed downstairs.

Jake and Ken were in the kitchen, eating french toast.  
Dad wasn't there, and my mom was grabbing a carton of orange juice from the fridge.

"Morning Mom" I said, plopping down in my usual chair "Morning Jerk-Aholic, Morning Mute"  
Jake and Ken glared.

My mom usually would of called me out on calling Jake and Ken names.  
But she didn't, she just smiled indulgently.

"Want some french toast honey?" she asked motherly.  
I glanced at Ken's plate.

Two thick slices of bread, drenched in syrup with bacon on the side.  
It looked absolutely amazing.

But, I declined "No, thanks. I'm gonna swing by the Kardigan's before school. I'm sure they'll have something for me. . ."  
"Yea, I'm sure they will" Jake muttered.

I threw him a frosty glare.  
If he didn't watch his mouth, he would regret it.

Ken slid his chair away from the table and got up.  
He went to the front door, probably to start the car or something. . .

"Holy crap!" he muttered.  
"It speaks!" I said in mock shock.

He threw me a glare over his shoulder.  
And then said "No seriously, you gotta see this"

Jake got up from the table, and I followed.  
My mom looked curious but didn't follow.

Parked out on the curb was a silver 2010 Maserati Granturismo. **(AN: pic on Jazper1843Hale profile)**  
My brothers are car fanatics, you pick up on stuff like that.

Sitting in the front seat was Austin.  
He honked the horn impatiently.

Ken and Jake both stood there, with their mouths hanging open and identical looks of shock on their face.  
I couldn't keep the smirk off my face.

"Later boys" I called over my shoulder, as I headed towards the car.  
I felt especially smug, since this was Jake's favorite car. . .

I jumped in the front seat.

The car was amazing.  
Even I, a girl who has a minimum interest in car, could appreciate it.

And I could certaintly appreciate Austin.  
He had on a dark blue sweatshirt. Which concealed the lacerations on his arms, but not the bites on his neck. His hair was naturally messy, and he had that same smirk.

"Nice car" I said as he began driving "What's the occasion?"  
"My parent's bought it for me" he said, the smirk growing.

"Why?" I asked.  
"Two reasons" he elaborated "1. I left my Mercedes in the middle of nowhere. And 2. It's my birthday on friday"

"Holy crap!" I said "Your right"  
"I think I know my own birthday" he muttered.

"I know, but I totally forgot" I told him "Seeing as, well I found out you were a vampire and all. . .So, what are you guys gonna do?"  
"Have a combination birthday/Halloween party at my house. As always" he said.

"Cool" I said, and it was.  
Seriously, having your birthday on Halloween? So much cooler then being born on New Years. . .which would be cool. . .except people always group my birthday with Christmas. . .

"Yea. . ." he said.  
I glanced at the small back seat, "Where's Kate?" I asked.

He smirked, "She said, she'd rather walk then be trapped in a car with the 'love birds'"  
I laughed "Over-reaction much?"

"That's Kate" he told me, taking a swig from a sports bottle.  
"I bet I know what's in there" I muttered.

"Guess" he told me, seeming confident I'd get it wrong.  
"Blood" I said, rolling my eyes.

"So close" he said "It's blood. . . mixed with Vodka."  
"Your drinking Vodka at 7:00 in the morning!?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

He shrugged, "I always do. Vampires don't react the same to alchol as humans. I'd have to drink like 6 bottles of beer to become even mildly drunk"  
"Then how come I've seen you get drunk at parties?" I challenged.

"That was a Blood High" he explained "Completely unrelated"  
"A what?" I asked.

"I'll explain it to you later" he said.  
I was about to ask why not now, but realized we were at the school.

"We're backkk" he said in a creepy voice.  
I rolled my eyes.

I looked at the parking lot.

People were already starting to crowd the car.  
And a large group of people were crowding Kate, who somehow beat us here. . .

"And we enter the dragon's keep" I said, mysteriously.  
Now, it was his turn to roll his eyes.

He stepped out of the car, and I followed.  
And was bombarded by people.

I pushed by the crowd towards Austin.  
Who was in the middle of the crowd on the other side of the car.

When I reached him, he put his arm around my shoulders.  
Now, _that _shocked some people.

Austin's friends seemed only mildly surprised.  
People who weren't good friends with Austin looked completely shocked.

And Carolina, Julie, and Cassi (his most recent girlfriends) looked utterly dumbfounded.  
Especially Cassi. . .because she was his 'girlfriend.'

Even with the shock from that gesture, the group still relentlessly threw questions at us.

"Where you guys been?"  
"Been boring around here without ya Kardigan"  
"Woah, Austin. Do you even _know _you have like three hickeys on your neck?"

"Chill out" I said, annoyed "We'll explain in a minute. . .just shut it"  
Everyone around us grew quiet instantly.

"Good" Austin said "Now I'll explain"  
Everyone listened intently as he spoke.

"Number 1: I was in NYC. Number 2: I know it must of been devastatingly boring without me. And 3: Yes, Kyle, I do know I have three hickeys on my neck" Austin said.  
And the questions began again.

This time I payed attention to the voices that belonged to the questions.

"Why were you in NYC?" Jason asked.  
"Who gave you the hickeys?" Kyle wondered.  
"How'd you get the bruise and the cuts on your face?" Trisha asked.

Austin handled it again, "Cut it out. One at a time"  
The question floodgate was closed again.

He sighed, "Okay. . .so I was driving to NYC, and got mugged and got my car stolen. It's none of your business who gave me these hickeys. And, clearly I got the bruises and cuts from being mugged"  
And the guestions started again, this was getting repetitive.

"Where'd you get the Maserati. Dude, that thing is fuckin awesome!" Kurt wondered.  
"What are you doing for your birthday on Saturday?" slutty Lisa M. asked.

He answered again, "The Maserati was for my birthday, duh. My parents gave it to me. And I'm having a party at my house."  
"Sweet" Nick muttered.

"Very" I agreed.  
Kyle's eyes widened when I spoke again.

"It was you, wasn't it" he said, seeming pleased with himself "You gave Austin the hickeys"  
"I-" I began, starting to feel my face get warmer.

Austin stepped in front of me protectively, "She doesn't have to tell you anything" he hissed.  
"Okay. . .okay" Kyle muttered "Sorry."

"Good. . .now if were done with the 3rd degree. . .We'll just be-" Austin was cut off when Cassi grabbed his arm.  
"We need to talk" she hissed.

Cassi was 100% whore.  
And I hated her with a passion.

She wore her auburn hair down, concealing the little bite Austin had given her.  
She was tall, with pale skin, blue eyes, and a nice figure.

I wasn't sure if she was pretty or not.  
Since her face was hidden under three pounds of makeup.

Austin's friends let out a chorus of "Ohhhhh"  
Austin gave them a frosty glare, as she pulled them away.

I felt awkward inside of the little circle of Austin's friends without him.  
But everyone was focused on Austin and Cassi.

She had dragged him over to the school.  
They were standing next to the wall. They were far away enough that we couldn't hear what they were saying.

Though, by the gestures and body language you could tell they were arguing.  
Cassi even pointed at me once.

This made me feel smug instead of angry.

After a minute, Austin stalked off.  
Seeming pissed.

He rejoined the group, and put an arm around my shoulders.  
Then shot Cassi a smug glare.

"So. . . " Kyle said, filling the awkward silence "I'm assuming you broke up with Cassi?"  
"Mhm" he mumbled.

"Wow. . .that one only lasted a few days" Nick mused "Usually the annoying ones hang around for a few months. She must of been a _real _pain in the ass"  
"Imagine" Austin said "Having to listen to a tape-recording of: 'You spend too much time with other girls. You don't care about my feelings. We need to spend more time together' 24/7."

They laughed, and so did I.  
"That would drive me crazy" Kyle muttered.

"Well, it would of driven me crazy" Austin said "But I've dated so many psychopaths that I'm immune"  
They laughed again.

The first bell rung.  
"Shit" Austin muttered.

The little group walked inside.  
Austin and I, leading the group.

I had to admit, I felt kinda special.

I mean, I was never really shallow.  
Never really cared about being 'popular.'

I had always had a lot of friends.  
But had never been part of the 'in-crowd.'

And I had never really wanted to.  
But now, being not only instantly excepted to this group but practically their queen . . . it felt good.

Their were several people who were considered the most popular people in school.  
And of course, they were all friends.

The little clique consisted of: Nick, Kyle, Jason, Lisa M, Bonnie, and Trisha.  
And of course, ruled by Austin.

Inside, their group went into Ms. Mangori's homeroom, their usual hangout before classes started.  
She was our youngest teacher and let us get away with murder, so it was an obvious choice.

Austin and I sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Nick, Lisa M. and Bonnie sat on the floor too.  
Jason stole Ms. Mangori's rolling chair and brought that over to us, and sat down. Kyle lounged across a couple of desks.

We talked for a while.  
It didn't surprise me how I was immediately excepted by them.

"Gotta go" I said, when I noticed the clock read 7:49. Homeroom would begin.  
"We should go too" Bonnie said.

Bonnie, Trisha, and Nick all left with me and Austin.  
Lisa M, Kyle and Jason all had Ms. Mangori for homeroom.

Everyone flushed out to their homerooms.  
Me, and Austin walked towards my homeroom together.

His homeroom was right next to mine.

As we reached my homeroom, we saw Kate.  
She was walking into our homeroom, texting at an amazing speed.

"Hey Kate" I called.  
"Hey Becca" she said, without taking her eyes off the phone.

"Who ya texting?" I wondered.  
"Domingo" she told me absently.

"Blood Mutt" Austin muttered.  
That caught her attention.

"Blood Donor" she called after him as he headed into his homeroom.  
"Screw you!" he called loudly.

Me, and Kate walked inside our homeroom.

"What's a Blood Mutt?" I asked.  
She waved me off, "I'll tell ya later" she said absently.

She was still texting Domingo.  
I rolled my eyes.

I had a few new immortal terms to learn.

Blood High.  
And  
Blood Mutt.

I figured I'd ask Austin later.

Bonnie was in my homeroom too.  
She immediately approached me and started jabbering like we had been friends for years.

Bonnie was small and tan. With pin-straight black hair and dark eyes.  
She never stopped talking, but she was genuinely nice.

The rest of the day was pretty good.  
And eventful.

What with my old friends and my new friends all questioning me.  
And Austin almost never leaving my side. . .

It was nice.

After lunch, while we were all chilling by the front stairs, I noticed Austin seemed tense.  
I wondered what was wrong.

After lunch we had about 20 minutes of free time, sorta like Recess.  
Except people just chilled around school.

Austin's group always lounged by the stoop at the front of the school.  
It was their typical meeting place.

Everyone was chatting.  
But Austin seemed particularly quiet.

I shoved him a little "Come here" I said.  
He looked confused but followed me off the stairs.

"Were ya guys going?" Nick asked.  
"Be right back" I called over my shoulder.

I headed for the empty football field.  
Once we were alone I spoke.

"Okay. . .what's wrong?" I asked.  
He shrugged, "Nothing"

"Don't lie to me" I told him.  
"Nothings wrong. I'm just thirsty. I haven't had fresh blood in a couple of days. . ." he trailed off.

"Hmmm. . .follow me" I said, walking behind the bleachers.  
Where nobody could see us.

"Okay. . . c'mon drink" I said, pulling my sweatshirt away from my throat.  
"What? No!"

"Yes" I said stubbornly.  
"Now c'mon, don't be difficult" I said.

"You need your energy" he countered.  
"So do you. Just drink a little" I coincided.

"Fine" he grumbled "If it'll shut you up, I'll do it"  
"It will" I said smugly.

He leaned in towards me.  
And pressed his mouth at the mark where he'd bitten me last time.

His fangs barely touched the skin, and it began to bleed.  
Having just healed.

I immediately felt that overwhelming excstacy as last time.  
It felt amazingly good.

It was like being underwater.  
Feeling completely weightless, without a care in the world.

It didn't last as long as last time.

He pulled away after a minute, and wiped the blood off the wound.  
Then he covered it with my hair.

I felt amazing and super happy.  
But not as giddy and light-headed as last time, probably since he didn't drink as much.

Austin seemed in a much better mood.  
Very mellow.

"C'mon" I said "Let's go back"  
"Okay" he said simply.

We went back to the group, and sat back down.  
They asked where we went, and I waved them off.

Austin sat next to me on the stairs, especially close.  
He was seeming mellow and affectionate for some reason. . .

He began kissing my neck in the middle of the conversation.  
"Dude" Kyle said "You go from 'being discreet' to kissing her in the middle of a conversation"

Austin didn't dignify that with a response.

I shoved Austin away lightly.  
Then I said playfully, "Seriously, not at school Austin"

He just nuzzled my neck and murmured "Yes, at school"  
"C'mon Austin" I said playfully "Your embarrasing me. Cut it out"

"But your so beautiful, though" he murmured against my throat.  
Some of his friends snickered.

"Okay. . .now your just embarrassing yourself" I said.  
"Mhm" he mumbled.

"Austin, can't you wait 'till were alone or something?" I asked, my only objection to this was that a bunch of people where watching us. Or else I'd have no problem with this.  
"No, I love you" he murmered against my neck.

"Holy crap!" Jason said, half mock-surprised and half surprised "Did Austin just tell a girl he loves her?"  
"It's a sign of the apocalypse" Kyle teased "Run for your lives!"

After some more coaxing, Austin pulled away.  
But ended up lounging across the stairs, and resting his head in my lap.

He stared vacantly at the sky, while we talked.  
He didn't say much, but seemed in a good mood.

"C'mon tell the truth, Austin" Jason teased "Are you even mildly high right now?"  
Kyle elbowed him playfully "You know, it would explain where you guys went before"

That went on for the rest of the day.

Austin was acting all cuddly and lovable.  
It was really weird, but really cool.

After school we went to the Kardigans.  
Austin stayed in the same state.

We were watching MTV with Kate.  
Cribs or something.

Austin started nuzzling my neck.  
And Kate gave us a disgusted look.

Then he started kissing my throat, and I could barley focus on the t.v.  
"Jesus Christ!" Kate shouting, standing up "Can you two get a room!? I'm gonna lose my lunch!"

Then she ran out of the room.  
I snickered "We have a room now. . ."

Then Austin surprised me by kissing me on the lips.

It was out first real kiss sense returning from Arthasian.  
And I'd been wondering when it would happen.

And damn was it a kiss.  
It was even better then the first time.

In a minutes time I was laying across my back on the couch.  
Austin hovering over me, kissing me passionately.

"What's going on in here?" I heard Kate say "It's awfully quite"  
Then she stepped into the living room.

"Holy fuck!" she shouted.  
We didn't stop.

"What, are you two gonna start doing it on the couch!" she shouted, trying to get our attention "You know, mom and dad are home!"  
No response.

"Hello!?" she shouted "Other person in the room! You can stop now!"  
We didn't.

Kate picked a book up from the bookcase and threw it at Austin.  
It hit him in the head, and got 45% of his attention.

He stopped kissing me, but didn't get up.  
"Jesus" Kate exclaimed "I thought I was gonna have to get a bucket of cold water"

Austin didn't have a smart alek comment.  
Which was strange.

He had been acting weird since he drank my blood after lunch.  
Mellow, affectionate, lovey-dovey. . . in a trance, almost hypnotized. . .

As the evening progressed, the normal Austin returned slowly.  
By 9 o'clock he seemed extremely embarrassed by his behavior earlier.

"I did _that?" _he asked me, referring to the part where he was being all lovey-dovey at school.  
"Yep" I said.

"Why-why would I do that. . ." he wondered.  
"Do I look like a magic 8 ball?" I asked "Shake me and get all the answers?"

He burst out laughing.  
I rolled my eyes.

"Oh c'mon!" he chortled "That sounded so wrong"  
I rolled my eyes again.

"Okay. . .okay. . ." he said, calming down ". . .Anyway, I don't get why I did all those things. . ."  
"It must be my amazingly hot body driving you wild" I teased.

"Possible" he muttered, smirking.  
"Okay. . .while you contemplate your strangeness. . .I gotta go home. I don't need Jake on my case again" I said.

"Okay. . .see you later" he said.  
I pecked him on the lips, "Bye" I said.

I got home, ignored my family, and went to sleep.  
I was exhausted.

And tommorow I was in for the biggest shock of all.


	22. Hunting For Witches

**_"Discovery"_**

I woke up two minutes before my alarm was set to go off.  
Which was unusual. . .

Since, I slept like I was in a coma. . .  
And it took a series of extremly loud buzzing noises to wake me up.

So, I found it particularly odd that I was up ahead of schedule.  
But, I quickly found what woke me up.

The smell of blueberry pancakes.

Now, I absouloutly adore blueberry pancakes.  
Their like my crack, seriously.

I love blueberries . . .  
Despite the fact they are really purple, not blue. . .

I also love pancakes, although not as much as blueberries.  
So, when you combine blueberries and pancakes you have my all time favorite food.

I jumped out of bed quickly, all notions of sleep forgotten.  
I ran to my closet and threw on jeans, a black shirt, and a black parka.

I rushed into the bathroom, and did my hair, brushed my teeth, did my makeup. . .  
Only extra speedily.

Then I ran out of the bathroom, knocking Ken into the wall (who muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'little bitch')  
I ran in to my room, shoved my feet into my converse, grabbed my bag, and ran downstairs.

My mom was cooking blueberry pancakes at the stove, and barely noticed me come in.  
Jake was sitting at the table, texting someone on his phone.

I sat down at the table, placing my bag on the floor.  
My mom turned to us, a big plate of blueberry pancakes.

I must of _looked_ happy too because my mom said "I thought you'd be happy"  
She placed the plate on the table.

"Oh, I am" I said, grinning.  
I dug my fork into the top pancake and put it on my plate, and then added another one.

Jake took two pancakes and started devouring them.  
I, more or less, did the same.

My mom grabbed her keys off the table, and said "Okay, kid's I'll see you after work"  
We nodded our goodbyes and she took off.

I had set my alarm clock for 6:45 exactly.  
Giving me just enough time to get ready, no more no less.

It didn't account for eating breakfest.  
Seeing as, I almsot never do.

So, I assumed I would be late.

I jumped when I heard a knock on the door.  
I didn't have a clue who the hell that could be.

Jake got up and answered the door.  
Whoever it was, didn't please him.

"Ugh" he moaned "You again?"  
"Who is it?" I asked.

"Austin" he grumbled, moving aside to let him in.  
"Thanks for the intro" Austin said sarcastically.

Austin was wearing his favorite grey sweatshirt, and jeans.  
In his hand he held the sports bottle containing blood and Vodka. . .

"Hey Austin" I said, getting up.  
I kissed him hello (just a peck on the lips) and Jake pratically had a stroke.

I swear, I think he turned blue. . .  
Now, as amusing as that was, it wasn't a good sign.

"Oh chill out" I said, waving a hand dismissevly "It's just a little kiss"  
He muttered something inteligably, and I rolled my eyes.

"What, you don't like me dating your sister, Callaway" Austin teased.  
"Just keep your hands where I can see them" Jake muttered.

"Can you see them around your neck?" Austin asked "Because thats where there gonna be"  
"Austin, you can strangle Jake later. . .we have to go" I said.

Austin nodded, and took his keys out his pocket.  
He dangled them in front of Jake tauntingly.

"Have fun walking, Callaway" he said, smirking.  
I shoved him lightly, and we left.

I could feel Jake glaring at our backs.  
It made me kinda smug.

We hoped into the Maserati, and drove off.  
The school was only a 10 minute drive from here.

"So, Austin. . ." I said "I was thinking about something last night, that I've been meaning to ask you"  
"Shoot" he said.

"Remember when I saw you drinking Cassi's blood last Thursday?" I asked.  
_"Could it really just be last Thursday?" _I thought. It had seemed world's away. . .

"It was a week ago" Austin said "And seeing as I'm not a retard, yes. I remember"  
"Uh-huh. . .so yea" I continued "Remember how you told Cassi to forget what happened and she did?"

"Ohhhh" he said, understanding "It's one of the things are venom does. You see, enough venom will turn someone into a vampire. But a small amount will kinda hypnotize them. They'll do anything you say"  
"Hmmmm" I mused "How come that's never happened to me"

"It did the first time" he told me.  
"It did?"

"Yep" he answered "You were so out of it. I'd been too thirsty to remember not to inject any venom. . .yesterday I was more careful."  
"Oh, so you usually use that on your Blood Donors?" I asked, not remembering to subsitute the word 'blood donor.' He was still touchy over the whole thing with Aurora . . .

"Yea, were supposed to" Austin said "Or they'll be hundreds of human Blood-Donors running around the world who know about vampires. . ."  
"Oh, makes sense" I said "And since we're on the topic of Blood Donors. . .whats a Blood High and what's a Blood Mutt?"

"A Blood Mutt is a vampire involved with a werewolf" Austin said simply "Which is usually considered a negative thing"  
"Well, that was obvious" I muttered, "So, whats a Blood High?"

"A Blood High is when a vampire drinks the blood of a human who is either really high, or really drunk" he said "And then the high feeling is transfered to them. . ."  
"Oh, that was obvious too" I said "How come mixing blood and Vodka doesn't get you drunk then?"

He shrugged, "Dunno. It just doesnt. It has to be _in _the blood. . .not mixed with it. It's hard to explain"  
"Oh well, okay" I said "I was just wondering"

We arrived at school and Austin parked the car.  
We got out and were greeted by Austin's (Well, I guess our) friends.

"Morning, lover boy" Kyle greeted Austin teasingly.  
Austin shoved him, "Not funny"

"It's hilarious" Kyle said "And you know it"  
"No it's not" Austin countered, oh so cunningly.

"Well, you gotta admit that it's true" Jason said.  
"Not helping" Austin said.

"Oh C'mon" Nick jumped in "You two couldn't take your hands off each other yesterday"  
Austin rolled his eyes.

"Yeah" Bonnie chimed in "We heard about you guy's big make-out session yesterday"  
Bonnie elbowed me playfully and winked.

"_How?" _Austin asked "How could you possibly know about that"  
"Kate tweeted it" Lisa M. said, shrugging.

"Yea" Kyle added "It said something like _'I just saw my brother makin out with his gf on my couch. My eyes are bleeding!' _Or something like that"  
Me, and Austin immediatly threw Kate frosty glares simoutansouly.

She was with a group of friends chatting.  
She noticed when she saw us glaring at her.

She gave us a smug look, and waved her phone at us.  
Then she turned away.

"Why, that little. . ." I muttered.  
"I'm going to do such illegal things to her. . ." Austin growled.

Everyone laughed, and we headed inside.  
We hung out in the hallways today, being loud and acting crazy.

When it was time to go to homeroom me and Austin said our goodbyes.

"Bye" I said.  
"Ok, see you during History" he told me casually.

And then somehow (I don't have a clue how) we just started kissing.  
Random, yes. Fun, yes. Smart, no.

"Hey, no PDA in the halls!" Kyle called from across the hall mockingly.  
"Yea. . .or were gonna have to come over there and hose you guys down!" Jason shouted.

We pulled apart, and Austin rolled his eyes.  
He also threw an annoyed look at Kyle over his shoulder.

"Okay. . .so I'll see ya" I said.  
"Kay, later" he said before walking off. He shoved Kyle into a locker as he passed.

I laughed, and went into homeroom.  
Kate wasn't texting Domingo, so we talked.

It was pretty normal and nice untill I remembered that she basically told our whole school (of course everyone follows her on twitter) about me and Austin.  
So, of course, she'd have to pay for that.

"So, Kate" I began calmly just before exploding "Why the hell did you tweet that me and Austin were making out on the couch!?"  
"Because" she answered, completly relaxed "I was pissed about having to see that, and wanted revenge."

"Oh C'mon" I said, crossing my arms "You can't honestly tell me that's the worst thing you've ever walked in on Austin doing with a girl"  
"No, not by far" she told me "I've seen them doing some disturbing things. . .but what you guys were doing was pretty intense. Plus, it was my best friend and my _brother. _How is that not disturbing?"

"Okay. . .okay. . ." I sighed "I get it. But I really wished you hadn't done that. People are gonna annoy me over that all day"  
She waved a hand dismissevly, "I'm sure by the end of the week they'll have all seen you guys doing explicit things and it won't matter if I told them about it first. . ."

I rolled my eyes.  
There was no use argueing with Kate-Logic.

Throughout the rest of the day people teased us about Kate's tweet.  
But it wasn't that bad.

It could of been worse.

After school, the group caught up with us as we were getting in the car.  
"Hey guy's wait up" Trisha called.

We both paused.  
"What's up?" Austin wondered.

"Were going to the mall" Bonnie said "You guys in?"  
"No can do" Austin said "We're busy"

We were, actually.  
We were going out to eat (well, those of us who eat) with Tora's gang.

"Oh, _right" _Kyle said, misheviously "Busy"  
Austin shoved him "Not like that. We're actually busy"

"Mhm. . .sure you are" Kyle muttered as they walked off.  
We got in the car and drove to the Kardigans.

We left shortly after.  
Me, and Austin took the Mazerati, and everyone else hoped in the stolen van.

We went to this fancy little restuarant on the edges of town called 'The Monarch.'  
It was pretty damn exspensive too. . .the only time I'd been here was when my parents dragged me and my brothers here to celebrate my Dad's 50th.

We were seated at a big table, the both kind that rap halfway around the table.  
Me, and Austin sat next to each other towards the outside of the table.

The vampires didn't order anything.  
But the werewolves, shapeshifters, witch, and human did.

I knew what to order since I had been here before.  
It was some kinda fancy pasta. . .but it tasted pretty good.

Dinner with them was nice.

Everyone laughed, and we all had a good time.  
I noted that Austin was seeming just the teeniest bit tense.

_"And you know what that means" _I thought, mischeviously.

He only seemed a little tense, which meant he was only a little thirsty.  
So, techinically, I was pushing it.

But I liked it when he drank my blood. . .  
And, I also wanted to see if he would act that way again.

"Austin, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked.  
"Sure" he said.

We both got up.

"Just excuse us for one second" I told our friends.  
Austin shrugged.

I led Austin outside, and walked into a little alley bewtween the restuarant and the neighbooring building.  
Austin followed, seeming extremly confused.

"What's up?" he wondered.  
"Your thirsty" I said simply.

"What!?" he exclamed "No, I'm not"  
"You can't lie to me Austin" I told him.

"Yes I can" he countered "I lied about being human for 10 years"  
"Whatever. I still know your lieing now" I said.

"Fine, I'm thirsty. But, just a _little. _Seriously, I could probably last another day or two without fresh blood" he told me.  
"I don't care" I said stubbornly "Your gonna drink from me, and you are gonna like it"

"You know, you bossing me around would usually be very sexy but right now it's just annoying" he said.  
"Just do it, goddamn it" I ordered.

"Will you chill out" Austin said.  
"Not untill you drink my blood" I said, crossing my arms.

"No" he said, crossing his arms.  
"Fine, then I'm just gonna bother you and pester you. . .untill you do" I threatned.

"Holy crap, your impossible!" he shouted "You know what, fine! I'll do it! Just stop!"  
I smiled smugly to myself "Good boy"

"Say that again, and I will not hesitate to slap you" he told me.  
"You would never hurt me" I said, smirking.

"Whatever" he said "Let's just get this over with"  
I grinned.

Then he leaned in, and sunk his teeth into the bite wound on my neck.  
My smile grew.

He didn't drink long though.  
He pulled away after a minute.

My mood had increased times 10.  
And so did Austin.

_"Yay! Mellow and lovey-dovey Austin returns!" _I thought.

I grabbed his hand and led him back into the resturant.  
Once inside, we sat back down at the table.

Austin started nuzzling my neck again while we were all talking.  
This time, I didn't try and stop him.

I really didn't care if he did it around Tora and them.  
They knew everything so this shouldn't bother them.

"Mmmmm" Austin moaned "You smell so good"  
Okay, that was a little embarrasing. . .

He started kissing my neck then.  
"I could kiss you forever" he murmered.

"God" Jupiter muttered "You guys are so sugary sweet that, I swear, your giving me cavities"  
"Me too" Mars agreed "Your acting so out of character. Being all lovey-dovey. . .it's so not you"

"You know, they actually have a point" Domingo mused "This is unlike you"  
Austin didn't dignify that with a response.

I heard Tora gasp.  
A look of shock, disbelief and horror crossed her face.

She started muttering frantically in some other language.  
Breathing in short little gasps.

"No" she breathed "It's not possible. . .no"  
"What isn't possible?" I demanded "What are you talking about"

"Austin's Blood Bound" she whispered.  
Everyone seemed to understand what this meant, and went wide-eyes and still.

"What the hell does that mean!?" I demanded again.  
"It occurs when a vampire drinks a certain type of blood" she whispered.

Which was completly unhelpful.  
"What kind of blood?" I asked.

"Witch blood"


	23. Sweet Little Lies

**_"Witch" _**

"What!?!?" I shouted.  
Too loud, everyone in the restaurant stared.

"Shhh" Tora hissed "We have to go. We'll explain in the car."  
I nodded numbly.

I was more or less completely lost. . .  
But, something about her words caused a sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"C'mon let's go" Tora said.  
She had a calm business like expression.

While Domingo looked worried and everyone else looked terribly confused.  
Except Austin.

Who didn't seem to know what was going on.  
He just kept nuzzling my neck. I was too shocked too try and tell him to stop.

Tora stood up, and we all followed.  
Even the dazed Austin could figure out that he had to get up.

While Domingo payed we headed for the front door.  
"Becca" Tora told me quietly "Get me Austin's keys."

"What? Just because I'm dating him doesn't mean I'm comfortable with reaching into his pocket!" and then I added quietly "Especially not in a crowded restaurant!"  
"You don't have to do that" she told me, rolling her eyes "Just ask him to give them to you. He'll do it. . .watch"

"Okayyyy" I drew out the word, making it almost a question.  
"Austin, can I have your keys?" I asked, unsure if he would give them to me. I wouldn't have. . .

"Okay" he said, smiling without reason.  
He reached into his pocket and took out his keys. He dropped them in my waiting hand.

I was pretty damn surprised.  
Usually, he fought me on everything.

Once in the parking Tora gave the keys to Mars.  
"Drive it straight to the Karodaurs' okay? Don't speed. And if you wrap it around a telephone pole, I'm gonna wrap you around a telephone pole." Tora ordered.

"Promise?" he asked, grinning mischievously.  
She smacked him upside the head, "Go."

He muttered something as him and Jupiter went in the Maserati.  
The fact that Austin didn't object meant something was horribly wrong.

Tora headed for the black van.  
She got in the passenger seat, and the rest of us climbed in the back. Ralph and Diablo sat in themiddle row. Me and Kate sat in the back, with Austin between us. Domingo got in the front seat and drove.

"Tora, what are you talking about!" Kate demanded randomly "Witch blood? Blood Bound!? What!?"  
Tora sighed, "Its true."

I started running my hand anxiously threw Austin's hair.  
Austin, who was just grinning without a care in the world.

"How?" Kate breathed.  
"Becca is a witch"

"WHAT!?" everyone said simultaneously.  
She nodded grimly "It's true. I suspected it for a while. . .but this is the icing on the cake. I was suspicious when nobody attacked her at the invasion, and especially when the window disappeared. That spell required two witches and there was two. . .and now, Austin's Blood Bound. . .there is no denying it.

"Holy Fuck!" Kate exclamed "How?"  
Tora shrugged "It happens sometimes. Witches ignore their heritage and their children and grandchildren never learn of their birth right."

I barely heard her.  
My head was reeling.

Learning that your best friends aren't who you thought . . . that's one thing.  
But learning that you're not who you thought you were?

Traumatizing.

I felt like I didn't know myself.  
Imagine finding out one day that your adopted. . . and then times the feeling by 10.

Because I had found out that I wasn't even human.  
I was a creature from a fairy tale world. A world I didn't know existed till a week earlier.

Everything I thought I knew was a lie.  
My friends, my family, _me. _

I felt like I was gonna faint.  
I could hear them talking but it sounded like they were in a tunnel.

"Blood Bound?" Domingo asked "Are you sure?"  
"Positive" Tora agreed.

"Whats Blood Bound?" I managed in a chocked whisper.  
Kate answered, she kept her voice calm and soothing "A vampire becomes Blood Bound when they drink a certain immortals blood. It never occurs in humans."

"What is it though?" I whispered.  
"It's a bind between the vampire and whoever's blood it is" Tora said "The vampire will experience a polar shift in moods after feeding and the two share a telepathic bond"

"A polar shift?" I chocked "And what do you mean by 'telepathic bond?"  
"A polar shift is the exact opposite. Like for example, when Austin was drinking your blood, how was he acting"

"Reluctant. . .agitated" I murmured.  
"See? The exact opposite of that would be mellow and eager" Tora elaborated.

"Okay. . . but what is this, this telepathic bond?" I wondered, my voice nothing above a whisper.  
"The two can communicate with their minds. . . and the more times the vampire feeds the stronger it gets" Tora said quietly.

"Like telepathy?" I asked, shocked.  
"Yea. . . sort of. It grows over time" Tora said.

"So. . .this means I'm a witch?" I asked.  
"Yes" Tora sighed.

"I can do magic?" I chocked.  
"Sort of. You have the raw power but not the knowledge" Tora said.

"So this isn't a joke" I clarified "I'm really a witch?"  
"Yes" Tora said.

Right then, I really let myself hear the words, _'Becca's a witch' _  
"But how!?" I cried, coming out of the denial "How is it possible!? I _can't _be a witch!"

It was true, I just couldn't be.  
I would have known if I was a witch, if I wasn't human.

People always joked that I was apart of the 'dark side.'  
But I really couldn't be a creature of darkness, an unnatural being.

I just couldn't.

"But you are" Kate whispered.  
"But how!?" I shouted "How can I go my whole life not knowing that I'm a witch!? How can I not know that I'm not human!?"

"Witches are the most similar to humans" Tora said quietly "They blend in easily. If nobody told you, you might never know"  
I was hyperventilating now, "My parent's can't be witches! Their too normal! They have to be human!"

"Your dad is" Kate whispered.  
"What!?" I demanded.

"Your dad" she clarified "Is human"  
"M-my mom?" I managed.

"She's a witch" she said solemnly "Now that I know, I can see how obvious it is. . ."  
"A witch" I whispered to myself.

If one of my parents had to be a witch I would have picked her too.  
She had a bubbly personality, and was pretty strange.

I mean, she fit easily into the working mom role. . .  
But their was always something a little off about her.

An anxiousness inside her she couldn't shake off.  
She always seemed to be longing to do something. . .but she never figured out what it was.

Magic.

Jake and Ken also had odd tendencies at times.  
Jake could never sit still, and Ken never spoke unless necessary.

Little things, but once you knew what was really going on.  
It was obvious.

"She lied to me" I chocked "She never told me she was a witch. . ."  
"I don't think she knew" Kate said.

"My grandparents?" I asked.  
"They might of known. . ." Kate said "It could go back even farther"

"Can you guys take me home?" I whispered in a small voice.  
"Sure" Domingo said understandingly.

We didn't speak for the rest of the ride.  
My mind was on overdrive and I was on the verge of a major breakdown.

I was doing my best to keep it together until I got home.  
Then I could break down.

I just sat quietly in the back, trying to control my breathing.  
Austin started nuzzling my neck again, looking up at me with big questioning eyes.

Since, this Austin didn't seem capable of speech (except when he was telling me how pretty I was) so I assumed this was his way of asking what was wrong.  
I just shook my head, and let him keep nuzzling my neck and telling me how much he loved me.

It felt nice to hear him say that.  
To have some stability in this messed up situation.

I was so caught up in the fact that I was a witch, that I hadn't given much though to the 'Blood Bound' concept.  
I would deal with it tomorrow.

When we got to my house, I got up.  
Austin begged me not to leave, "Don't go yet" he purred "Stay, just a little longer"

Kate swatted him, "Pull it together. Becca, needs space. God, your even denser then usual. Hey, Tora. How long does this mood shift thing last?"  
"A couple hours after feeding" she said.

"Damnit" Kate muttered.  
I smiled sadly, and got out of the car.

Kate gave me sympathetic smile and waved.  
I waved back, and headed for the front door.

It was unlocked, as usual, and I let myself in.  
The lights were off.

I flipped them on.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed "You scared the hell outta me! What the fuck are you doing down here?"  
Jake and Ken were sitting at the kitchen table (in the dark) doing nothing.

"Waiting for you" Jake said calmly.  
"Seriously, Jake" I moaned "I'm not in the mood right now"

He ignored me, "Sit down" he said.  
I walked cautiously to my usual chair.

I sat down, unsure, and placed my bag on the floor next to me.  
"What's going on?" I asked suspiciously.

He ignored me again, "Where were you?" he asked.  
"At dinner" I said cautiously.

"Where" he asked calmly.  
"At 'The Monarch'. . ." I said, this whole thing was making me suspicious.

"With who?" he asked, still perfectly calm.  
"Austin. . ." I trailed off, almost making it a question.

"You were with Austin at 'The Monarch?'" he asked.  
"I believe that's already been established" I said.

"Alone?" he clarified.  
"No, we were with Kate and some of our other friends" I said "Now, what the hell is going on here?"

"We need to have a talk" Jake said.  
"About?" I asked, silently praying it wasn't what I thought it was.

"Austin"


	24. Teenagers

**_"Talk"_**

Oh for the love of God. . .  
I was really not in the mood for this right now.

"What about Austin" I snapped, getting defensive.  
I didn't like it when they talked badly about him. It drove me crazy, actually.

"Your dating Austin, and quite frankly we don't like it" Jake said.  
"That sucks for you then" I retorted.

He gave me a steady glare, "Seriously, Becca, the guy's bad news."  
"You don't know him" I said defensively "Not like I do." "Becca . . ."

Jake said softly, almost sympatheically, which was beyond strange. "He isn't all nice and sweet like you think he is. He's just using you."  
"Yea, do you know how many girl he's fucked?" Ken said bluntly.

Jake narrowed his eyes at Ken, "Thank you Ken."  
Then he looked back at me, "I was trying to he more subtle. . . but he's right. He fools around with a lot of girls, what reason do you have to believe your different?"

"Because he loves me" I snapped "I know he does, he told me. He's never told another girl that, even you know that."  
"He's lieing Becca" he said "He knows your smarter then the other girls."

Ken muttered under his breath "Apparently not that much smarter."  
Jake shot him a sharp look.

"Anyway" he continued "He knows you wouldn't sleep with him unless you were sure he loved you."  
"I am sure" I snapped "And, I'm not sleeping with him."

"Not yet your not" Ken muttered.  
Jake shot him a _'stop interferring'_ glare.

"Anyway. . . If this keeps going on much longer you are gonna end up sleeping with him, it's unavoidable."  
"Why do you think our relationship is purely physical" I demanded.

"Because that's all he cares about. And I heard about you two making out on their couch yesterday. And you've only been dating for a few days. By the end of the week you'll be feeling each other up. And, I don't even want to know what'll happen between you two in a few weeks."

"Ugh" I groaned "I shouldn't be surpsied you know."  
"Don't change subjects" Jake said "You need to end this."

"No!" I shouted, standing up.  
"Its for the best" Jake reasoned.

"You don't know whats best for me" I snapped "Austin loves me, he said so himself"  
"Do you realize you sound like every naive teenage girl in the history of forever" Jake asked.

"I won't be like that. He's not gonna use me. I'm smarter then that."  
"Youve been dating for two days and you've already kissed him" Jake retorted "Anyone with a brain can tell you where this is going"

"I kissed him because I've known him for 10 years!" I countered.  
"If you've known him for 10 years you would know that his favorite hobby is womanizing"

I glared at him. I hated when people made assumptions about Austin.  
They didn't know _anything _about him.

"Your not one to be preaching about how men should respect women" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.  
"This isnt about me" he growled "This is about you. And, I don't want to see you be hurt by him."

"He's not using me!" I shouted, at my wit's end "Why is that so hard for you to understand!? He's with me beause he loves me. If all he wanted was sex then he could go to any other girl. His choices aren't exactly limited! He could have any girl he wanted, he wouldn't be with me unless he loved me. There is no other reason he would want _me"_

"Yes there is" Jake said evenly "And you know it"  
I did, but that was beside the point.

As far as I'm concerned, I only have a mildly pretty face. My face isn't exactly plain but it isn't stunning either.  
But, my body. . .well, thats another story. I had a nice body, and I knew it. Tall, tan, long legs, curvy, full-chested. . .

But I never wore clothes to emphasive any of that.  
I wore jeans, sweatshirts, t-shirts, ect.

I only time I wore anything revealing is when I went swimming at the Kardigans during the summers.  
So, few people knew what I looked like beneath all the heavy clothes.

Of course my brothers did, Duh, their my brothers. I walk around the house wearing cotton shorts and tank tops every day in the Summer.  
And so did Austin and some other people I would go swimming with.

But that was it.  
Now, Jake and Ken (being the annoying jackasses they are) are even more protective of me because of it.

"Austin doesn't care about that!" I shouted "He could be dating a fuckin super-model if he wanted! He would choose me because of _that!"  
_"You don't know that" Jake said calmly "Now just stop this before you get hurt"

His intentions were actually pretty sweet.  
Except, I was too annoyed to acknowledge the sediment.

"Well, it's none of your buisness" I snapped, walking away from the table "Austin and I are in love, and there is nothing you can do about it."  
"She'll be pregnant in a week" Ken muttered, under his breath.

I turned around, and gave Ken my meanest glare.  
But even that couldn't wipe the emotionless mask off his face.

"You know what, Ken" I hissed "Fuck off"  
"In 9 months you'll wish you listened to me" he muttered.

I was about to throw a string of profanities in his face, but Jake cut me off.  
"Okay, okay" he said, for once being reasonable "Cut it out you two"

I kept my gaze locked on Ken.  
Who just stared back blankly.

"Okay" Jake continued "We can go back and forth with this all day, but the bottom line is: If you do anything with him. . .we'll beat him to a bloodly pulp"  
"Oh, shoot" I said, going super heavy on the sarcasm "If only you told me that before I had sex with him"

Jake, apparently, didn't find this funny.  
He just glared at me.

"Fine, don't laugh" I said, turning for the stairs "But whatever, I'm leaving"  
Then I walked upstairs.

I went into my room, and collapsed on my bed.  
I was soooo exhausted.

Yet, I couldn't find sleep.  
I lay in my bed, warm and cozy, for hours and sleep never came.

I kept thinking about the fact that I was a witch.  
It was a hard concept to rap my head around.

The more I thought of it, the more accurate it seemed though.

Like in school, I would always know when the teacher would call on me.  
I would always know if a teacher was planning a pop quiz.

I powned at any type of guessing game.  
And my favorite holiday has always been Halloween.

As the shock and despair wore off, an accepting feeling swept over me.  
I was a witch. . .a _witch._

How effing cool is that?

I could do spells, and magic, and a bunch of other cool things.  
And, I was 'Blood Bound' to Austin.

As I thought of that, I remembered Tora saying we could communicate telepathically.  
I doubted it would be very strong, since he only fed from me three times, and I didn't know how to. . .but I decided to try and use telepathy.

If I had it, I should know how to use it, right?  
Then again, I went 16 years not knowing I could do magic. . .

But I ignored that thought, I gave it a shot.

I just kind of meditated, it seemed like a good place to start.  
I let all my thoughts drift out of my head.

Except the one's of Austin.  
I thought of nothing but Austin.

Him, his house, his room, his favorite sweatshirt, his car, his hair, his eyes, his face, the way he smelled, his voice. . .  
Everything about him.

All the memories I had of him.  
All the fantasies I remembered having about him.

Everything.

Then, I imagined being close to him.  
Wanting to be near him, and never leave.

And as I was focusing on all things Austin, a weird flash appeared in my head.  
A bottle of red wine. . .

Confused, I tried again.  
I concentrated on Austin.

And got another flash.  
Pale hands pouring a glass of wine. . .

I tried again, this time even harder.  
I was using a tremendous amount of effort.

And, I was pulled into a scene, that seemed to play out in my head.  
I felt like I was seeing this through someone else's eyes, and hearing it through someone else's ears.

Except, it didn't look how the world looked to me.  
Everything was fuzzy, and the room was spinning.

The voices seemed so loud, and didn't make sense.  
It sounded like a jack-hammer pounding in my ear.

And before I could really tell what was going on, I was out.  
I was back in my room, and the walls weren't spinning any more.

It seemed eerily quiet now.  
And everything seemed oddly clear.

I lay in my bed, panting.  
It had taken a lot of energy out of me to do that.

And I had only done it for a few seconds!

I had tried to reach into Austin's mind. . .  
And I didn't even know if I had done that or not.

Everything had been so confusing.  
And, I was suddenly not restless anymore.

I fell asleep instantly.


	25. Hot 'N Cold

**_"Bi-Polar?" _**

I was woken up several times in the middle of the night.  
By strange dream-like visions.

_In one of them I was sucked into a spinning fuzzy room.  
I could barely tell that it was the Kardigan's dining room._

_I could see shimmering shapes that resembled people.  
Then jackhammering voices. An annoying pounding. _

_If I concentrated really hard I could hear a pounding voice say something distinctly like "Austin? Are you okay?"  
My head nodded without my consent. And the world spun even more. _

_I had the distinct feeling I was going to pass out.  
"Are you sure" a pounding voice hammered "Because you look completely wasted." _

_I shook my head, without my consent again, and everything got even blurrier._

And then I was yanked out of the vision, and I was laying in my bed.  
I realized I must of been inside Austin's head.

Seeing things the way he was seeing them.  
But I didn't understand why everything was blurry and fuzzy and too loud. If that's the way Austin saw the world, then I understood why he was so strange.

I fell back asleep, and was soon interrupted by another vision.

_I saw what looked like a fuzzy spinning version of the Kardigan's living room.  
There were fuzzy people walking around the room. _

_Every footstep sounded like thunder.  
__I (Austin, I guess) put his hands over his ears and moaned. _

_"Austin, maybe you should lay down" a voice asked.  
The voice sounded thunderously loud and then at other times seemed like it was in a tunnel. _

_"No" Austin's voice muttered, although it felt like my lips were moving "I'm- I'm alright."  
I felt my stomach flip. And my head pound like my own heartbeat was too loud. _

_"Really, you should lay down before you pass out and bash your head on the coffee table" a thunderous voice hammered.  
"I'm fine" Austin's voice insisted as my lips moved. _

_I felt my head spin like a tilta-wurl, and felt myself getting dizzy.  
And then I was falling. And everything went black._

When I re-opened eyes I was back in my room.  
Breathing in quick little gasps.

I was thankful to be out of that twisted vision.  
I fell asleep quickly, glad the walls had stopped moving.

I was no longer plagued by Austin's warped reality that night.  
And the rest of the night I slept peacefully.

When I woke up, I felt oddly rested.  
I sprung up, and got dressed quickly.

Dark skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black paint- splattered sweatshirt.  
I did my makeup and hair quickly.

I went into my closet and grabbed Austin and Kate's presents and tossed them in my bag.  
I slung it over my shoulder and headed downstairs.

Jake and Ken were eating something.  
I shot them frosty glares, I was still mad about our discussion last night.

I noticed Mom wasn't there.  
"Wheres Mom" I snapped.

"Its after 7" Jake said stiffly "She left."  
"7? Shit" I muttered.

I ran out the door, and Austin's car wasn't there.  
I was surprised he wasn't there, honking the horn impatiently.

So, I left and headed for the Kardigan's.  
As I was walking down the street, I remembered that it was Halloween.

My favorite holiday of the year.

And instead of dressing up as a mythical creature, I was one.  
How amusing.

I went to the front door and let myself in.  
Everybody was (pratically) there.

Tora, Domingo, and the gang were sitting at the table.  
Mr. and Mrs. Kardigan were at the stove. And Kate was leaning against the fridge.

"Hello, hello" I greeted "Happy Birthday, Kate and Happy Halloween to all."  
"Thank you" Kate trilled.

She had her hair pin straight, and wore a short pink baby-doll dress.  
"Your welcome" I said.

She skipped over to me, "Soooo, where's my present?"  
"Uh-uh" I said, shaking my head "Not until the party."

"Boo-hoo" she teased and pouted.  
"Where's Austin?" I wondered.

"Sleeping off his hangover" Kate said, with a slight eye roll.  
"Hangover?" I asked, however my twisted visions kinda made more sense now.

"Yea. . ." she said "He got trashed last night."  
"Why?" I wondered.

"Well, he kinda spazzed when he found out you were a witch. And we had to think of a way to cool him down. So, we gave him some Vodka" she said with a shrug of her delicate shoulders.  
"But,I thought it took a lot for a vampire to get drunk" I mused.

"Yea . . . but after mellowing out with a bottle of Vodka he was more eager to down a few more bottles of liquor" she shrugged.  
"A few?" I asked suspiciously.

"Like 3 bottles of Vodka and 10 bottles of wine" she mumbled.  
"Holy crap" I exclaimed "Any of you ever heard of alcohol poisoning?"

"Vampires have a much stronger liver, and a much better tolerance of alcohol" she explained.  
"Oh. . ." I said "Did he pass out?"

"Yea. . . about an hour ago. . . Why?"  
"No reason" I said, although this was more evidence of that my little vision was real. And that I wasn't crazy.

"What I don't get is" I continued "That I found out the same thing last night and you don't see me drowning my shock in liquor"  
"Well" Kate said "Austin is kinda unstable at times. The whole Blue Fire thing messes with his head sometimes. . .and now the Blood Bound thing too. Sometimes, it's better to drug him then deal with him"

"That's nice" I muttered sarcastically.  
"Sorry" she defended herself "But it's true"

"Mhm" I mumbled "So, where is he?"  
"In his room, sleeping. Actually, you can go wake him up, we have to get going" Kate said.

"Okay" I nodded, and went upstairs.  
I knocked on Austin's door.

Nobody answered.  
So, I went in.

It was pitch black in there.  
I felt the wall, and flipped the lights on.

Austin's room had no windows.  
The walls were a dark, dark green. Clothes and random stuff covered the floors. His double bed was in the corner.

And Austin was sleeping in it.  
I could see his blond hair against the pillow.

As soon as the lights were on, he groaned and covered his head under the blankets.  
"Go away" he moaned.

"C'mon sleepy head, time to wake up" I said, walking over to him.  
"No" he moaned.

"C'mon" I said, kneeling next to his bed "You can't get wasted on a school night and not expect to pay for it the next day."  
"Let me die in peace" he groaned.

"You asked for it."  
Then I pulled the blanket half off him, thats what my mom did to wake me up. I would always be too cold to continue sleeping.

I don't think Austin cared about the cold though.  
He was laying on his stomach, hands over his head. He didn't have a shirt on, but I could see the tops of his plaid pajama pants.

"Wake up" I said in a quiet sing song voice.  
"Why are you talking so loud" he moaned.

"I'm not talking loud, your just extremely hungover" I said quietly.  
"Ugh" he moaned, and rolled over onto his back.

He covered his eyes with his arm.  
I looked at his face to keep myself from staring at his awesome six pack.

"C'mon" I urged "Wake up. It's your birthday today, you know. You can't spend all day sleeping. Your having a party tonight, remember?"  
"I'm hungover, not re tarted" he snapped.

"Your irritable when your trashed" I noted.  
"I'm not trashed" he mumbled "I was trashed last night."

"You were wasted an hour ago" I countered.  
"Whatever, just go away. I'm not in the mood to do anything" Austin mumbled, uncovering his eyes.

They were a little bloodshot and he had slight purple shadows under them.  
"C'mon Aussie. Time to wake up" I said, hopeing that the use of Vesper's pet name for him would annoy him enough to wake up.

"Remind me to be pissed about that later" he mumbled, rolling back onto his stomach.  
"Ugh!" I moaned "You asked for it."

I turned and left the room.  
I walked down stairs and into the kitchen.

"Wheres Austin?" Kate asked.  
"He won't get up" I complained.

"I know what to do" Jupiter said, pushing away from the table.  
Mars smirked, "Yes, yes we do."

"I'm not even gonna ask" I mumbled.  
"Good" Jupiter said, digging around in a cabinet "Just go upstairs and wait for us."

"Okayyyyy" I drew out the world, almost like a question.  
Without another word, and I walked upstairs and into Austin's room.

He had gone back to sleep and had only half the blanket on.  
I leaned in the doorway, waiting.

I considered snooping through his room, just because I was bored.  
But, I was more then a little afraid of what I would find.

Mars and Jupiter came upstairs then.  
Jupiter carried a big metal bucket.

"Whats that?" I asked suspiciously.  
"A bucket of ice water" Jupiter said smirking.

"Oh my God" I whispered, and then covered my hands to keep from laughing.  
Jupiter carried the bucket over to the bed. He stood over Austin.

"Okay, Austin" he said "Last chance. Are you gonna wake up now?"  
The sleeping Austin, of course, had no response.

"You asked for it" Jupiter said.  
And poured the bucket over Austin.

He jumped out of his bed, and onto his feet.  
His blond damp hair fell into his eyes. His bare white torso was dripping with water, and his pajama pants were soaked.

"What the fuck" he moaned.  
We were all howling with laughter, except Austin.

Who still looked completely hungover.  
"Somebody has to go to school" Jupiter said smugly "And in order to do that, you have to wake up"

"Ugh" Austin moaned.  
"Sucks for you." Mars said, heading for the door "And Hera said you have to get ready now"

Austin moaned miserably.  
"Hey, don't be so glum" Jupiter said, smirking "Today's your birthday. And if you sleep all day you won't get to enjoy Becca's present"

He winked then, clearly giving away what he was implying.  
Mars and him howled with laughter as they left.

"Screw you" I called after them.  
Austin clutched his head, "Stop shouting" he groaned.

"Sorry" I whispered "Now, go get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs."  
"Okay" he mumbled.

"Good" I said, leaving and closing the door behind me.  
I went back into the kitchen.

Kate was already gone.  
"Where's Kate?" I wondered.

"Left for school" Tora said "She didn't feel like waiting."  
"How nice of her" I mumbled.

"Mhm" Tora agreed absently.  
"So, Mars?" I wondered "Who's Hera?"

"That would be me" Mrs. Kardigan said.  
"Oh. . .for some reason I really never considered you having a first name. . ." I mumbled.

She laughed.  
And then Austin came down the stairs in a daze.

He had on jeans and a dark green hoodie.  
His blond hair was still wet and shadows under his eyes.

Combined with the cuts, scrapes, and hickeys . . . he looked like a mess.  
"Morning Aussie" I chirped smugly.

He momentarily closed his bloodshot eyes, and mumbled "I'll flip out about that later."  
"Alright then" I said in a patronizing baby voice.

He glared a little and went to pick his keys off the table.  
But Mrs. Kardigan snatched them out of his hands.

"Hey!" he complained.  
"There's no way your driving" she said sternly.

"Why?" he whined.  
"Your in no condition to drive" she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"What? I'm hungover not drunk" he snapped.  
"Two hours ago, you thought this was Beckingham Palace" Jupiter muttered.

Austin threw Jupiter an icy glare.  
But Jupiter just smirked back at him.

"Exactly" Mrs. Kardigan said "And there is no way your getting behind the wheel, young man."  
"She called you young man" Diablo said smugly "Your in trouble now."

Austin shot him a quick glare.  
"Then how am I gonna get to school" Austin complained.

Mrs. Kardigan strode over to me and plopped the keys in my hand "Becca will drive."  
"What!?" Austin shouted, and winced because his own voice was too loud for him, "We'll die! You know, she's a horrible driver!"

"She'll do fine. And besides it will be much safer then if you drove" Mrs. Kardigan said firmly.  
"What? So now your taking my keys away like some little kid?" Austin complained.

"Oh stop being such a little brat, Austin" Tora said, rolling her eyes.  
Austin glared at her.

"My thoughts exactly" Mrs. Kardigan said, hands on hips "Now off with you, your gonna be late."  
He grumbled to himself, the only word I caught was the first one, "Fine."

"Good" she said and then she kissed him on the forehead.  
Austin rolled his eyes, grumbled more, and headed outside.

I followed, keys in my hand, grinning smugly.  
Austin silently got in the passenger seat of the Maserati.

Feeling smug, I got in the driver's seat.  
Austin rested his head back on the seat and shut his eyes.

"Ugh" he moaned.  
I snickered to myself, and started the car.

I carefully backed out of the driveway.  
I drove down the street, going slowly and watching carefully.

"I'm gonna die" Austin moaned.  
"Its just a hangover" I assured him "You'll be fine."

"I know that" he snapped "I was referring to your crazy-lady driving."  
I smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!" he moaned loudly, clutching his head.  
"You deserved it. You've been such a pain this morning"

"Well, I'm sorry" he snapped "But, I happen to be extremely hungover _and_ found out I was Blood Bound _and_ found out my girlfriend was a witch. Cut me slack."  
"You get no slack" I said "I found out those things yesterday too. And I didn't turn to Burban."

"Well, your also not mentally unstable" he countered.  
"True" I conceded.

As we drove he looked pretty miserable.  
Every time we hit a bump he looked like he was in agony.

"Not feeling so hot are you Austin?" I asked.  
He shook his head.

"Well, I'll tell you what" I said, smug to have found a way to tease him "If your a good boy I'll feed you again today."  
He opened his bloodshot eyes to glare at me.

"Yea, so I can be your mindless love-struck little puppy again?" he asked rhetorically "I don't think so."  
"But your so cute when your all cuddly and sweet" I teased.

"I'm sure I am" he mumbled.  
"Yes you are" I said in a baby voice, and then added "Everyone else thinks so too."

He moaned, and this time not because of the hungover, "Ugh! Don't remind me. At least, Tora and them know what really happened. But, I can't explain it to my friends. . ."  
"Well, you could" I said "But they'll officially think your crazy"

"I could always tell them I was high. . ." he mumbled "They'd believe that. . ."  
"I would too" I muttered.

He glared a little.  
I just smirked.

Then, we had arrived at school.  
We were a little late, and most of the parking lot was full.

But nobody had dared to steal Austin's usual parking space.  
That was wise of them.

I parked the car in it's usual spot.  
And took out the keys.

"It's a miracle" he teased "We're alive!"  
"Don't mock my driving" I said "I got us here just fine"

"Don't flatter yourself" he mocked "It was probably the work of God or something. . ."  
I rolled my eyes, "I see someone is getting back their cryptic sense of humor"

"I told you before, alchol doesn't have that much of an effect on vampires" he said.  
"Oh really" I countered "Because, last time I checked you didn't live in Beckigham Palace. . ."

He narrowed his eyes, "I meant it doesn't have a very long lasting effect"  
"Mhm, sure you did" I mumbled, getting out of the car.

"Witches" I heard him mutter.  
I smiled to myself.

I got out of the car, and so did Austin.  
I locked it, and plopped the keys in my bag.

Bonnie, Lisa M, Trisha, Nick, Kyle, and Jason came up to us.  
Austin didn't look very thrilled to see them, then again, he wasn't thrilled to see anybody today.

"Morning, birthday boy" Kyle said teasingly.  
"Morning, fagot" Austin snapped.

"Oh" Kyle said, surprised "I see somebody is hungover"  
Austin muttered sarcastically "What was your first clue"

"Well" Kyle answered, ignoring the sarcasm "Your usually a _little _nicer to me. And your eyes are totally bloodshot, now"  
"Congrats, Sherlock" Austin muttered sarcastically.

"Your irritable when your trashed" Lisa M. noted.  
"I know, right!" I agreed, those were my thoughts exactly.

Lisa M. was pretty stupid, and pretty slutty.  
But, she was kinda funny sometimes.

She was tall and had a nice tan. She had bleach blond hair and a pretty face.  
She had big brown eyes, and full lips.

And had dated half the guys at our school more then once.  
Austin included.

Austin just glared a little.  
Not in the mood to deal with us.

A girl in my math class, Nina, bumped into the silver toyota next to us.  
The car alarm blared angrily

Austin clutched his head, and moaned loudly.  
"Make it stop!" he shouted.

The owner of the silver toyota (a kid named Billy who was in my homeroom) rushed to his car when he heard the alarm go off.  
He turned off the alarm.

Austin sighed in relief.  
Jason snickered.

"You really are extremely hungover" he noted.  
"No shit" Austin muttered irritably.

"I'll tell you what" Jason said, holding up three fingers, "If you can tell me how many fingers I'm holding up I'll give you ten bucks"  
Austin shoved his shoulder, "Not funny"

Everyone else thought it was funny, they laughed.  
And so did I.

Jason snickered, "Yes it was"  
"Don't fuck with me today" Austin snapped angrily.

Jason was taken back.  
He took an automatic step back, without realizing it.

Everyone else seemed shocked too.  
They all stayed quiet.

Concerned, I rushed up to Austin.  
I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay, Austin" I said, soothingly "Chill out"  
He growled quietly at me.

I tried using the Blood Bound thing again.  
Wondering if we could really communicate that way.

_"Don't growl at me" _I thought towards Austin.  
And, shockingly, I heard Austin's voice in my head.

_"Get out of my head!" _he thought angrily.  
_"No" _I thought stubbornly.

_"Uck! Why can't everyone just leave me the fuck alone!" _he thought in exasperation.  
_"Just chill out!" _I snapped in my head.

He growled at me again.  
And stalked away from us, inside.

_"Don't walk away from me, Austin!" _I shouted in my head.  
_"I just did" _he thought in response.

I gave the group an apologetic expression and held up one finger.  
Signalling for them to wait a minute.

I followed after Austin.  
He was walking aimlessly through the hallways.

"Hey!" I shouted after him.  
He spun around, his silver bloodshot eyes blazing.

"What" he snapped.  
"You don't talk to me - or think to me- like that" I ordered.

"Your not the boss of me" he growled.  
"No, but I am your girlfriend" I retorted "And I advise you to have a better attitude towards me"

He snarled wordlessly.  
"And enough with the animal like vocalizations" I added.

"Can we just not have this conversation right now" he said through gritted teeth.  
"Can I just ask you one thing" I asked "Are you bi-polar?"

"I'm sure it must seem that way" he muttered "With the Blood Bound thing, and the Blue Fire, and the hangover. . . "  
"Well, your mood changes all the time" I noted.

He sighed, "I know it does. You know what, though? I'll try harder to not be so moody _if _when I tell you I need space. . .you give me space."  
"I can live with that" I consented.

He smiled a little, "Good. . .now, I gotta go"  
He kissed me on the forehead, and left.

I looked at the clock and sighed.  
It was only 8:00.

It was gonna be a long day.


	26. Enter Sandman

**_"Telepathy"_**

"I gotta say, I'm impressed" a voice trilled to me.  
I spun around to see Carolina standing next to me.

She was Austin's girlfriend over the summer. I never really liked her. She was about as smart as a loaf of bread. She had light brown hair piled in a crown on her head. She wore jeans and a stylish grey wool jacket. She was leaning against the wall next to me, monotonously examining her blood red nails.

"Excuse me?" I asked.  
"I'm impressed" she repeated "The way you handled Austin, it was impressive. I could never win an argument with that boy. He's such a hothead, you know?"

"Uh, yea" I said cautiously.  
"Yep . . .But his hottness overwhelms his childish temper. . .Yep, Your one lucky girl" she said absently "Yep, the next two months will be the best months of your life."

Defensively, I put my hands on my hips.  
"What makes you think Austin will dump me in a few months?" I demanded "in case you haven't noticed, I'm not really like you and the other girls Austin dates."  
Carolina's expression seemed almost sympathetic,

"Because, when it comes to girls, Austin has a short intension span" she explained "I understand why he might of decided to date a different kind of girl. I think the longest relationship was his first real girlfriend in 7th grade. Jackie McCaleger. Almost 3 months. So, there is no way you'll have relationship with him that lasts over 3 months."

"We'll see" I said haughtily.  
She laughed a little, "Good luck with that" she said.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "Well, I gotta go" I lied.  
"Okay. . .Catch ya around" she said absently.

Then she turned and strode away.

I didn't know what to think of that conversation.  
Except that, it was a waste of my time.

I sighed, and headed off to homeroom.  
As I walked, I was 100% sure that it was gonna be a long day.

I chilled during English/homeroom.  
While he talked, I pretty much slept with my eyes open.

After my mini-nap in English I felt more rested.  
So, when I got to Science I wasn't tired.

I was wide awake, but Science couldn't keep me entertained.  
Mrs. Crigger was blathering about Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary rocks.

Which I learned about in 9th grade, so I was bored to tears.  
I decided to try and reach into Austin's mind.

It was easy for me to get into his head but a strain to stay in there.

******

_Austin was in Spanish.  
He was half asleep._

_He propped his head up with his hand.  
His eyes closed occasionally and then re-opened with a start. _

_**"Holy crap, I'm so fuckin tired"** he thought.  
He glanced absently around the room._

_**"Maybe I should get a drink later"**he thought nonchalantly.  
I felt smug after hearing that, now I knew he was thirsty. And could use that against him. But I kept these thoughts to myself. _

_Senora Garcia was writing on the board.  
But Austin couldn't see what it said. _

_Anything 10 feet away looked blurry to him.  
**"Damn hangover"** he thought to himself. _

_Señora Garcia homed in on Austin, realizing he wasn't paying attention.  
**"Son of a bitch"** he thought. _

_"Austin?" Senora Garcia asked, her voice painfully loud "Que es la respuesta?"  
He knew that she was asking 'What is the answer?' _

_He knew that.  
But he didn't know what the question was._

_"D. All of the above" he muttered.  
People snickered, but Senora Garcia wasn't amused. _

_She gave Austin a frosty glare.  
"Mr. Kardigan" she said, switching languages "How do you expect to learn anything if you don't pay attention. Do you have anything to say for yourself."_

_"Yea" he muttered " . . .Buenos Noches."  
Then he put his head down on the desk. _

_Everyone laughed and I heard Senora Garcia mutter something exasperated in Spanish.  
Then she continued with her lesson, deciding he wasn't worth it._

_Austin fell asleep for a minute.  
__Then awoke when someone's voice purred "Austin, wake up. Are you alright?" _

_Austin picked up his head, "Huh?"  
A girl named Veronica was leaning over him. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail on her head. From Austin's point of view, her low cut top was even lower since she was bending over._

_**"Wish Becca would wear shirts like that" **he thought randomly.  
**"Hey!"**I thought, unintentionally towards him._

_**"Becca?"** he thought "**What are you doing in my head?"**  
**"I just wanted to see what you were doing" **i thought innocently._

_**"So, what? Your telepathically stalking me, now?" **he thought agitatidly.  
**"I am not!" **I thought back angrily._

_"Austin?" Veronica said, and Austin unwillingly pulled his attention away from me and towards her.  
"Yea?" he asked. _

_"The bell rang. . .it's time to go" she said, raising an eyebrow.  
"Oh right" he said, picking up his books and throwing them in his bag._

_He slung the bag over one shoulder.  
And followed Veronica out, talking casually with her as they went._

_**"Get out of my head" **he thought towards me.  
I snorted mentally, and left._

_*****_

The bell _had _rung.  
Back in my Science class, the room was empty.

I glanced at the clock.  
The bell had only rung a minute ago, but I hadn't heard it.

I lost all sense of my physical self when I was in Austin's head.  
I could of been hit by a train and not of noticed.

I grabbed my stuff and headed to History, most of the students had already taken their seats.  
I hurried and sat in mine.

Austin came in a second later, just before the bell rang.  
And threw his stuff on the desk.

And then Mrs. Maket began talking about the Industrial Revolution.  
Bored, I decided to use telepathy.

It was easier then being inside Austin's head.  
_"So"_ I thought, slightly accusing but mostly making small talk_"You wish I wore more low-cut shirts?"_

_"As a matter of fact, I do" _he thought haughtily _"And a more important question would be; what were you doing in my head?"  
"I was bored"_ I thought.

_"So you just pop into my head whenever your bored?"_he thought angrily _"Talk about an invasion of privacy. You don't see me popping into your head whenver I'm bored."_  
"_Sorry"_ I thought _"But I find being in your head really interesting."_

_"How can I trust you, if your gonna go inside my mind whenever you feel like it?"_ he continued ranting mentally, ignoring me._ "What would you do if I just went inside your mind whenever I wanted. Like perhaps, she your taking a shower or having a private conversation?"_

_"You wouldn't"_ I thought back, narrowing my eyes.  
_"Thats right. _I_ wouldn't"_ he thought _"I might be cunning enough to come up with idea, but not evil enough to carry it out"_

_"Neither am I"_ I defended myself.  
_"Well, prove it. Do me a favor, and only go in my head when you have to. Not when your bored."_

_"When would I have to go in your head?"_ I asked.  
_"I don't know. During an emergency or something"_ he thought back.

_"Okay. . . but can I ask you a question?"_ I thought.  
"_Shoot"_ he thought in response.

_"Did you get drunk last night because you were upset that I was a witch"_ I thought.  
"Nah" he thought back "I actually think it's kinda cool that your a witch. _It makes things easier for us. I was upset about the Blood Bound thing. I wasn't that upset, though. I was just ranting and shouting. And yea, I did kinda break a lamp or two. But, for me, thats not so bad. But, I could tell everyone was afraid I was gonna lose it. So, they 'suggested' I have some Vodka. So, aware of how insane I was acting so I figured some Vodka wouldn't hurt. And it didn't. But, then I drank the whole Vodka. Still nothing. Then another. Still nothing. Everyone was disapointed with the results you know. So they 'offered' me one more bottle of Vodka. Then I had a slight buzz. And I was kinds enjoying the jittery feeling. So, I had some wine. Then another. And then like 8. So, I was pretty wasted after that. Everything was all spinny and fuzzy. And everything was way too loud. I really don't remember most of the things that happened after that. But I do remember passing out. Bashed my head on the floor. Damn did it hurt."_

I held back a laugh _"Yea, I remember that. I kept being pulled into your head last night. I didn't have a clue what was going on"  
"Yea, it's a Blood Bound thing" _he thought _"It happens sometimes" _

_"Oh. . .so can you tell me more about the Blood Bound thing?" _I asked.  
_"Not right now" _he thought, yawning _"I'm too tired. I'm gonna go to sleep, Mrs. Maket won't care. And by the way, stay out of my dreams"_

_"I can do that?" _I asked curiously.  
_"With practice, yea. It's a Blood Bound thing" _he thought _"Now good night"_

He put his head on the desk, and fell asleep almost instantly.  
Austin was right, Mrs. Maket didn't care.

She barely cared with other students and definitely didn't care with Austin.  
Especially, since he had a 100 average in this class and saved all our lives when Donnie tried to kill us. . .

The rest of school passed quickly.  
As promised, I stayed out of Austin's head.

And most of the day was spent with everyone talking about the party tonight.  
Everyone was genuinely excited about that, the Kardigan parties were always epic. . .and 9 times out of 10, somebody got arrested.

After school, me and Austin ditched our friends easily.  
Saying we had to get ready for the party.

At the Kardigan house, everyone was getting ready for the party.  
Mr. and Mrs. Kardigan had agreed to go out, leaving Tora and Domingo in charge.

They had Mars, Diablo, Jupiter, and Ralph setting up.  
And left the Birthday Twins, and me, alone.

We had a few hours before the party started, about 6 hours actually.  
So, we were chilling.

Austin, Kate, and I were watching t.v.  
Kate sat on the other couch, watching us with narrowed eyes.

"I'm prepared to hose you guys down if you guys start making out on the couch again" she threatened.  
"We won't" I said, with mock disappointment.

Austin snickered.  
Kate shot him a glare, "I'm serious"

I looked at Austin.  
He was smiling, and his eyes weren't bloodshot anymore.

"Someone seems in a better mood" I noted.  
He shrugged, "I told you. Vampire hangovers don't last very long"

"Thank heavens for that" I muttered.  
"Your telling me" he said in response.

After watching t.v. for about a half an hour, Austin got up.  
"Can you come with me for a second?" he asked me.

"Depends, were are you going?" I asked suspiciously.  
"Outside. . .just c'mon" he said.

"Okayyy" I said cautiously.  
I followed him out the glass back door, onto the Kardigan's patio.

He gestured to a wooden bench near the edge of the patio.  
I went over and sat down.

"Now wait here" he said "I'll be right back"  
"Okay" I said, swinging my legs.

He disappeared back inside.

I glanced around the Kardigan's back yard.  
On the patio, their was patio furniture, a grill, and a bar.

If you looked in the rest of the yard, their was an in-ground pool.  
The cover was over it, closed for the winter.

Trees with fall colored leaved surrounded the large yard.  
And the leaves on the ground were cluttered in small piles.

Austin came back outside.  
In his hand, he had a small black giftbag.

"What's that?" I wondered.  
"A present" he said, sitting down next to me.

"For?" I prompted.  
"For you" he said, smiling.

"For me?" I asked, confused "But it's your birthday. And my birthday's not for a few months."  
"It doesn't have anything to with birthdays" he explained "It's just a present. I was gonna give it to you last night, but things didn't go as planned."

"Oh okay" I said "So. . .what is it?"  
"Open it, and find out" he said, handing me the bag.

"Okay. . ." I said as I took the bag.  
I dug inside, taking out the tissue paper.

At the bottom, was a white square jewelry box.  
I took it out, and gave Austin a confused expression.

"Just open it" he said, smiling.  
"Okay. . ." I said, and opened it.

Inside, was a silver chain with a delicate pendent hanging from it.  
The little pendent was in the shape of a flame, and blue.

"Oh" I breathed, actually excited "It's so pretty. . .thank you. . ."  
He smiled, "Look on the back" he instructed.

I flipped the little pendent over.  
Engraved on the back was a time. 1:54.

"1:54?" I asked.  
"That's the exact time I met you" he said, smiling.

"Wow, how can you remember that?" I asked in awe "That was like 10 years ago"  
He tapped his temple, "Photographic memory, remember?" he said "Besides, I would never forget that day"

"Me either" I said, smiling.  
"I know I'm a pain in the ass sometimes" he said, being surprisingly sincere "Well, a lot of the time actually. But, I- I just. . ."

He seemed to be struggling for words.  
Which I understood, being romantic wasn't exactly in his nature. . .

"I get it" I said, smiling at him "And, besides I can be a pain in the ass sometimes too. The point is, that we love each other, right? So, we can both be royal pains together"  
He laughed, "Yea. . .right"

"Great. . .now let's go inside" I said, rubbing my hands together for warmth "I'm freezing my ass off out here"  
He laughed, "That is why vampires, are the superior race. Resistance to temperature is one of the many perks to being a vampire"

Getting up, I rolled my eyes and said "That little annoying pixie was right, Vampires _do _think their better then everyone else"  
He laughed, "We don't think, we know" he teased.

I rolled my eyes.  
"Witches are almost as cool as vampires" he said.

"That makes me feel so much better" I said sarcastically.  
"I'm sure it does" he muttered.

"Wait" I said, before we went inside "First, help me put this on"  
I handed the necklace to him.

Then, I turned around and picked up my hair.  
"With pleasure" he said, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

He put the necklace on me and fastened the clasp.  
"Ta-da" he said.

I rolled my eyes, and let go of my hair.  
Then we both went inside.

Once inside, I took off my sweatshirt.  
The little blue flame pendant looked really cool against the plain black of my t-shirt.

We headed into the living room, where Kate was still watching t.v.  
She sprung up when she saw us.

"Cool necklace" she said, talking too fast "Mhm, great, awesome, whatever! Enough small talk. We have bigger fish to fry. Becca. . .You, me. . .we're on a mission"  
"What kind of mission?" I asked suspiciously.

"You'll see" she trilled and grabbed my arm.  
Austin laughed, and plopped down on the couch.

He began flipping through the channels.  
Kate ignored him and said "C'mon let's go"

Then she grabbed a better hold of my arm.  
And dragged me upstairs.

_"Oh dear God" _I thought.

* * *

**Some ppl said they wanted a little more romance bewtween Austin n Becca. And, as promised, there was some. Of course, there will be more of that 2 come. Anyway, I'd also like to say Thanks 2 all my reviewers! They make me so happy!  
And one last thing, I'm changing the name of this story to: Prince Of Blood.  
Just so you know. I'll change it later 2day or 2morrow. Once every1 has gotten a chance to see this. That way, there is no confusion. **

**Anyway, thanks 4 reading n plz review  
:)**


	27. I Can't Do It Alone

**_"Preparations"_**

"What are we doing?" I asked suspiciously as she pulled me into her room.  
"You'll see" she said as she pushed me down into the stool in front of the vanity.

Then she headed into her closet.  
"I'm scared now" I said.

"Dont be" she assured me from the closet "We're just gonna dress you up for the party."  
"Now, I'm definitely scared" I mumbled.

She laughed, and came out of the closet.  
She had piles of stuff.

"For the love of all that is holy" I muttered.  
"Just hold still" she said, rolling her eyes.

She reached into her endless supply of makeup.  
She wiped the makeup off my eyes with some kind of make-up removing crap.

She took out eyeliner and eyeshadow to re-do my eye make-up.  
She worked diligently on creating a perfect smokey-eye.

Then she took out a bottle of mascara.  
She worked on my eye-lashes until they were dark and full.

Then she took out a concealer, way too tan to possibly be used by her, and applied it to my face.  
"Ta-da" she said, turning the stool around to face the mirror.

My face did look pretty, I had to admit, but this wasn't the part I had been worried about.  
"Well?" she asked expectantly.

"Nice" I said pleasantly.  
She clapped her hands together, "Yay, now hair" she said, spinning the chair around.

"Lovely" I muttered.  
She grabbed a curling iron and began to curl my already curly hair.

Once, she was done curling the curls she decided to put the hair up.  
She put it up in a messy bun, letting a few curly ringlets fall around my face.

She spun me around to face the mirror.  
I did look very pretty, but the bite mark on my neck was in plain sight.

Now, I didn't have an aversion to my bite marks like Austin did his.  
But, I didnt want it in plain sight, especially when the humans here would assume it was a hickey.

And, I didn't need more rumors circulating me and Austin.  
Not at all.

"Okay" Kate said "Now, it's time for clothes."  
That was the part that I had been worried about.

I braced myself for the worst.  
She picked out the clothes and threw them at me.

"Dont mess up your hair, or makeup" she ordered.  
I shimmied on the pink top and black skirt without ruining any of Kate's work.

I looked in the mirror.  
And almost threw up.

The skirt was super short, made my long legs seem even longer.  
The pink tube top exsposed my belly button and the tops of my breasts were clearly visible. The little pendent dangled above them.

"Well?" she prompted.  
"I look like a whore!" I shouted.

"It's not that bad" she chastised.  
"Not that bad!? _Not that bad!?_ It's horrible! I look like a hooker! For example, is this a skirt or a belt!? Is this a shirt or headband!?"

"Dont overreact. Besides" she reasoned "It's Halloween. People always come to our party dressed in clothes they wouldn't wear anywhere else. Besides, I bet Austin will like it."  
I rolled my eyes, "Like thats not obvious"

She just shrugged, "He'll still like it"  
"Now, get this _off _me!" I screamed.

"Fine" she huffed "I'll find something different."  
"Thank you" I sighed.

She went for another expedition inside her closet to retrieve more clothes.  
After a few minutes she came out with another pile of clothes, and handed them to me.

"Here's something less 'whoreish'" she said.  
"Thank you" I said smugly.

Careful of my hair and makeup, I switched outfits.  
The new outfit was better then the other one, but still something I would never chose for myself.

It was a short royal purple skirt, a little longer then the other one.  
The top was a lacy black tank top. It was low cut, but not as bad as the tube top.

I didn't say anything, I stood there quietly.  
Contemplating whether I was satisfied or not.

"This is the most non-slutty outfit your gonna get" she added.  
Which pretty much made up my mind for me.

"Its great" I decided.  
"Yay" she said, clapping.

"Now we need shoes. . ." she mused.  
She went back into the closet and dug around for a while.

"Heels or boots?" she called out.  
"Hmmm. . . boots" I decided, a pair or strappy heels would send me over the deep end.

"Okay, boots it is" she came out with a big shoe box.  
When she came out, I thought of something.

None of Kate's stuff should fit me.  
She was so little and petite, and I was so tall.

"How do you have everything in my size?" I asked.  
"I might of gone shopping for stuff for you last night. . ." she trailed off.

I rolled my eyes as she took the boots out of the box.  
They were sleek black and really long.

I put them own, they reached 3/4 of the way to my knee.  
"You look amazing" Kate proclaimed.

I walked over to the full length mirror.  
I did look good.

This outfit showed off my body without making me look cheap.  
The boots increased my 5'7 height a few inches.

"Nice" I agreed "But why did you bother?"  
"This is my present to Austin" she said, adjusting the strap of my shirt.

"What'd he get you?" I wondered. "His present to me, is to not kill Domingo if he walks in at a bad time" she said and winked.  
"Too much information" I muttered.

She laughed, "Now, c'mon. Let's go show Austin, but be quiet. It's a surprise."  
"Okay" I promised. S

he walked down the hallway, towards their _up-stairs_ t.v. room.  
I wasn't kidding when I said they were rich.

She went inside, and I hid behind the corner.  
I could hear their conversation easily.

"Hey Kate" he said casually. I didn't hear the t.v. so I didn't know what he was doing.  
"Hi, Austin" she said slowly, building up to it "I got your present."

"Cool" he said "What is it?"  
"Close your eyes" she instructed.

Kate leaned out the door and gestured for me to come in.  
I tip-toed in, well, as much of a tip-toe that was possible in boots.

Austin was sitting at the computer, the swivel chair was spun around to face the door.  
He had changed his shirt, and now wore a black button down shirt.

The sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, exposing some of the lacerations.  
His eyes were closed. "Okay. . . Open 'em."

He opened his eyes and they became extremely wide.  
He flinched back. Almost knocking the chair over backwards.

Me, and Kate snickered at his shock.  
"Holy crap" he muttered, getting up and coming towards us.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, ignoring Kate.  
The boots made up the difference in our heights. I wasn't even an inch shorter now. Maybe a 16th of an inch. Actually, if you included the updo my hair was in. . .I was a little taller.

"Well?" I asked, already knowing the answer.  
"I love it" he said.

"Your welcome" Kate said, trying to remind him she was there.  
"Yea, thank you" he said "She looks amazing. Just for this, if I walked in on you and Domingo doing it. . . I'm just gonna walk away. And then go outside and scream at a tree, like those crazy ladies in the park."

Kate laughed, "That's all that I ask"  
"Mhm" he mumbled, not paying attention. He was staring at me, clearly more interested in me.

"Well. . . " Kate said, looking back and forth between us "I'm gonna go get dressed now. . ."  
She walked out the door, and closed it behind her.

I was about to speak, but was cut off before I could.  
A second later, Kate re-opened the door. Peeking her head in.

"Just so you know" she said "This door is unlocked."  
"Thank you, Kate" Austin muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Just a reminder" she said suspiciously "Remember; someone could walk in here at any second"  
"Thank you, Kate" Austin hinted.

"I should probably go now. . . " she trailed off.  
"Yea" I said, leaving the 'duh' out, but implied.

"Goodbye" she said and closed the door.  
Austin rolled his eyes, "Mom dropped her on her head when she was a baby, you know"

I laughed,"No, actually I didn't know that. But I suspected. . . " I said teasingly.  
He laughed, "It's the reason she's not good at her dark magic thing"

I did a double take, "Seriously?"  
He laughed, "No"

"Oh" I said "I thought you were serious for a second"  
"Have you ever known me to be serious?" he teased.

"I've seen you be serious a few times" I mused.  
"When there's a full moon. . ." he muttered.

I laughed, "So. . .what do you think of this outfit?"  
"It's awesome" he said, smiling.

"How awesome?" I asked.  
"Epically awesome" he said "I never thought I'd say this about you . . . but, Becca you look seriously sexy. No offense"

"Offense taken" I said, and shoved him.  
He stumbled a little, and tripped over the leg of the chair.

He fell back onto the floor.  
I began to howl with laughter.

I couldn't stop.  
I was gasping for air in between the fits of laughter.

Austin was laughing too, but not as much as me.  
And he wasn't suffocating on the laughter like I was.

"Oh my god" I gasped "Can't Breath. Need-need air"  
"I don't think this is funny, Rebecca" he teased.

"It-It's . . hysterical" I managed between my laughter "The . . . big, strong, _coordinated _vampire, gets shoved lightly by a witch and falls on his ass. What . . .What's not funny about it?"  
"It's not nice to push people and then laugh at them" he said in a mock-lecture like voice.

"I'm sorry" I said, with mock-sincerity "I'll make it up to you"  
He looked confused, "Uh, okay?"

I crouched down on the floor, cautious to the fact I was wearing a skirt.  
Then I adjusted myself, so I was on my knees.

He looked even more confused.  
"What are you doing. . . " he asked cautiously.

I didn't answer, instead I crawled across him.  
I rested across him.

My face hovered a little over him.  
I smiled, he smiled too. Seeming to understand now what was going on.

I moved my face in closer, my lips hovering an inch above his.  
"I'm sorry" I whispered.

"I forgive you" he said, smirking.  
I moved my lips as close as they could be to his, without touching them that is.

"Good" I murmured.  
Then I pressed my lips to his.

To say he eagerly kissed me back, would be an understatement.  
He kissed me back. . .more then eagerly. More like desperately.

I pretty much, felt the same way.

His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me closer to him.  
I intertwined my fingers into his messy blond hair.

He moaned in pleasure.  
And I responded with a moan of my own.

His hands slid down my back, resting on my ass.  
Which, almost, made me uncomfortable. _Almost. _

We lay there for a while, kissing on the floor of the tv room.  
Could of been one minute, or it could of been 30. Time was irrelevant.

When I could hear the door swing open.  
Kate wasn't kidding, someone could walk in at any time.

If only we had cared enough to think of that. . .

"Son of a bitch !" a voice shouted.  
We broke the kiss, and I looked over my shoulder to see who it was.

Diablo was standing there, looking only mildly surprised.  
I groaned. He was almost as perverted as Mars and Jupiter.

"Kate said you were upstairs" he muttered "I didn't realize she meant _upstairs"  
_"What do you want, Diablo?" Austin groaned.

"Domingo wants you to put the cars in the garage, so people have room to park" Diablo said.  
Austin groaned, "Okay, I'll be down in a minute. Hey, by the way, you ever heard of knocking"

"It's a tv room!" he exclamed "I didn't think I had to. . .now if it were a bathroom, or a bedroom, or a broom closet. . . then I would of knocked"  
Austin rolled his eyes, "You are sick"

"You can't blame me for having a twisted mind" Diablo defended himself.  
"I can try" Austin muttered.

"Yea, well" Diablo said, a little awkwardly "Could you, I don't know, get off the floor maybe?"  
I rolled my eyes, and slid off Austin. And got to my feet.

Austin got up to his feet, and said "Better?"  
"Marginally" Diablo said ". . . You should probably go help Domingo now. That is, if you two are done with your love fest"

Austin walked towards the door, and smacked Diablo upside the head as he passed.  
I followed, and did the same.

"Hey!" Diablo called "Respect the ginger!"  
I rolled my eyes as we went downstairs.

Diablo followed us downstairs, and into the kitchen.  
Tora and Domingo were putting chips and such into bowls.

Kate came in occasionally and took a bowl into the living room.  
I didn't know where Ralph, Jupiter or Mars were.

"I found him" Diablo mumbled.  
"Good" Domingo ordered"Now, Austin, go put the crossover and the Maserati in the garage"

Austin gave a mock military silute before grabbing the keys off the counter and heading outside.  
Domingo shook his head, and continued working.

Diablo shot Kate an accusing glare as she grabbed a bowl of pretzels.  
She stopped short, looking surprised.

"What did I do?" she asked innocently.  
"You could of warned me what they were doing upstairs" he accused.

"I didn't know" she said "By the way, what _were _they doing?"  
"Too late, I already repressed it" he muttered "If I try to remember I think my eyes will start bleeding again. . . "

I rolled my eyes, "We weren't doing anything bad"  
"You were on the floor!" he exclamed.

I shrugged, "Don't blame me. Blame the outfit. I swear, it has magical powers. . ."  
Tora looked over her shoulder when I said that. Probably, to see the 'magical' outfit.

"It is pretty" she noted.  
Domingo looked over his shoulder too, as if just noticing I was here.

"Hmmm" he said, only polietely interested "You do look nice"  
Domingo was the only guy I knew, who would react like that to this outfit. One of the great things about Domingo.

"Nice?" Diablo asked "She looks hot"  
Now, _that _was the kind of response I expected this outfit to recieve. . .

"Jackass" I muttered.  
"Your luck Austin isn't here to slap you" Kate added as she headed into the living room.

"I'll just tell him when he gets back" I said smugly.  
"That's just cruel" he muttered.

I laughed, "Think before you speak, and you won't have this problem"  
Diablo rolled his bright blue eyes, "If I did that, I wouldn't talk at all"

I laughed a little.  
I heard someone coming into the kitchen.

Then I could hear Jupiter's voice.  
"Hey Tora" he started before he was in the kitchen, "There isn't enough room for these chips out there-"

He came into the kicthen, carying a bowl of chips.  
He glanced around.

And when he saw me he spazzed, "Holy fuck!"  
He threw the bowl in the air. Chips rained down around him.

Diablo and I started laughing.  
Tora rolled her eyes, and muttered something exsaperated in a language I had never heard before.

"Jupiter" she chastised "Look what you did. Now we need more chips. . . Would it hurt for you to be a little more careful?"  
The way she talked to him, reminded me sort of like a mother. Only, she was sure as hell, not.

"I was careful" he defended himself "But-but look at her! How does that not shock someone?"  
"Should I take that as a compliment" I asked.

"Yes" Jupiter said.  
I heard Mars voice coming closer.

He began talking before he got inside,"What did you do now Jupiter-"  
When he got in, his eyes first looked at the chips on the floor then at me.

He flinched when he saw me, the drink in his hand flying into the air.  
The contents rained down on him.

Tora hung her head in exsaperation.  
"Look at this floor! Does Becca _really _look that spectacular?" she asked.

"That's Becca?" Mars asked, squinting.  
I rolled my eyes, "Duh"

Austin walked in then.  
"What the hell happened in here?" he asked.

"Mars and Jupiter spazzed when they saw me" I explained.  
"Morons" he muttered.

"Jupiter, Mars" Tora commanded "Clean this floor"  
"Fine" they grumbled.

They went to go find the tools nessecary to clean the floor.  
"If I keep getting reactions like that all night, I'm taking this outfit off" I mumbled.

"If you take that outfit off, I can promise you you'll get even stronger reactions" Diablo muttered.  
Austin smacked him upside the head.

"What?" Diablo whined "It's just a fact. If she takes off her clothes that's gonna shock people a lot more"  
Austin smacked him again, "Would you like to try a third time?"

"No, I'm good" Diablo mumbled and shuffled out of the kitchen.  
"It's gonna be a long night. . ." Austin muttered.

"Your telling me. . ." I mumbled


	28. Topless

**_"Confrontations" _**

Austin and I helped set up for the party.  
Rude comments coming every so often (from Diablo, Mars, and Jupiter) refering to my outfit.

Each time they were rightfully smacked by either me or Austin.  
Whoever was closer. . . or angrier.

Around 10:00 guests started to arrive.  
We lied and said that Tora, Domingo and them were Austin and Kate's cousins, who were visiting from out of town.

Nobody seemed to notice that they looked nothing like Austin or Kate.  
Or maybe they did, but didn't care enough to point it out.

Over the course of an hour, at least 100 kids had showed up.  
The atmosphere was hectic and loud.

Music blared, the lights were dim.  
People were dancing and running around.

Being generally insane.

Austin talked with pretty much everyone.  
And I stayed glued to his side, where it was harder for people to target me.

Still, the reactions to my outfit were very strong ones. . .

For example, Austin and I were talking to Libby and Vincent when Derik walked up to us.  
He was drinking something out of a red cup, most likely some form of alcohol.

"Hey Austin!" he shouted over the music "Who's that?"  
He nodded at me.

"I've known you since 1rst grade, Derik" I called over the music "I'm Rebecca, remember? Rebecca Callaway"  
He chocked on his drink, "Woah, seriously?"

Austin rolled his eyes, "Yea, seriously"  
"Oh, well, uh you look . . . .nice" Derik said awkwardly before walking away.

Most people were afraid to say more with Austin there.  
Which is why I stayed attached to his side.

But, eventually, I spotted some of my other freinds.  
I wanted to go apologize for ignoring them the last few days.

Austin was talking to James and one of his ex-girlfreinds, Maria.  
"I'll be right back" I said, loud enough for him to hear over the music.

He nodded, and was about to say more.  
But was cut off by a series of crashing sounds.

I looked over towards the banister.  
A bunch of drunk kids were throwing plates over the railing of the second floor.

"Sure" he said to me "I gotta go play angry host now anyway"  
I slipped out from under his arm, and Austin went over to the stairs.

I could hear him yelling at the drunk kids.  
"What the hell are you doing!? Do you want to pay for those?"

I laughed, and headed over to my other friends.  
Hannah, Mandy, Rach, and Dianna were standing by the stairs talking to Matt and Billy.

"Guys!" I shouted at them.  
They turned their attention to me, shooeing the guys away.

Since we were best friends they still recognized me.  
Which was nice.

"Look" Mandy teased "The new Mrs. Kardigan has graced us with her prescience"  
The words themselves would of been mean, but her teasing tone meant that she wasn't really offended.

"Look, I'm sorry" I shouted, trying to be heard over the music "I didn't mean to ignore you guys! But, I've just been distracted, do you forgive me?"  
"Sure" Rach called "If I was dating Austin. . .I would of ignored you too"

I laughed, "Thanks"  
That was the great thing about my friends. They weren't grudge holders.

"That's a nice outfit you got there!" Hannah teased loudly "You working the corners tonight?"  
I laughed, "If you weren't my friend I would beat you"

"Let's go now" she teased, putting up her fists like a boxer "You could never take me in that girly getup. You would trip over those stilletos"  
"Hey!" Dianna said with mock-diapproval "You can't talk to Becca like that. She'll get her pimp to come and beat the shit out of you"

I shouted "You guys are horrible"  
"We've learned from the best" Rach said.

I laughed, then abrutly switched topics, "Where's Kate?"  
Mandy shrugged, "Somewhere with Ryan"

"Ohhh" I said, I had almost forgotten she was still with Ryan.  
I considered her more with Domingo. Then again, poor Ryan was just her blood donor. . .

"Well, I gotta ask you something" Rach said "How the hell did you get with Austin?"  
"Luck" I said, and shrugged.

"Well, damn. . . " Rach muttered.  
I laughed, "It also might have something to do with my super-sexiness"

She rolled her eyes, "Yea, I'm sure thats it"  
Jason came up to us then unexpectedly.

"Hellllooo, Becca" he called.  
"What do you want Jason?" I asked.

"I don't know" he said "I'm bored. . ."  
"Well, its not my job to entertain you. . .I'm sure Lisa would love to give you a lapdance or something, go find her" I said, waving him off.

"I would" he said "But Lisa isn't here"  
"She's not?" I asked, surprised.

"Yea . . . she said she had some stuff to take care of" Jason said and shrugged "She said she'd be by later. . . So, I need someone else to entertain me"  
He looked at my freinds, who had been oddly quiet.

Understandably, Jason was a good looking guy. . .  
They probably didn't want to say something stupid, like they usually did.

He looked at Rach, probably the prettiest of my friends.  
"So, Rachel, are you seeing anybody. . ." he trailed off suggestively.

I shoved him, "Not cool, Jason. My friends are off limits. Their are plenty of sluts here for you to hit on"  
He turned to me, "Fine"

"So, Rebecca . . ." he said, pretending to hit on me.  
My freinds laughed, and I smacked him.

Austin showed up then, apparently done playing host.  
He leaned against the wall, next to a table full of shots.

"Why are you harassing these ladies, Jason?" he asked.  
"I'm bored" he said "And I'm not harassing them."

"Yea you are. You hit on Rachell" I said, and then added "And he called me a slut"  
Austin glared at him, "Jackass" he muttered.

"I didn't actually call her a slut" he defended himself ". . . I implied it"  
Austin rolled his eyes, "Whatever"

"Well, I have to go find someone to entertain me" Jason said as he started walking away.  
"Do me a favor, and choose Cassy!" Austin called after him.

We laughed.  
Austin picked up a shot from the table, and drank it.

"Hey" I said, swatting him "No more alcohol. You already got drunk last night"  
"Whatever, your not my mother" he said, taking another shot.

"Do you want me to call your mother?" I threatened.  
My friends let out an annoying chorus of "Ohhhh"

"I have an idea" Austin said "Let's make this a drinking game. Every time you say something annoying, I take a shot"  
"Thats not funny, Austin" I said.

He took another shot.

"Don't test me Austin" I threatned.  
He took another shot.

"Aussie" I rebuked, knowing that would piss him off.  
My friends snickered.

"I think that counts as two shots" he said, taking a shot.  
He grabbed another shot, but I knocked it out of his hand.

It spilled over the front of my shirt.  
"Son of a bitch!" I cursed.

Austin laughed, "Thats what you get"  
My friends laughed too.

"Damn" I muttered "Now I need a new shirt. I can't go home smelling like booze"  
"Kate bought you an entire wardrobe last night" Austin told me "I'm sure you'll be able to find something else to wear"

"Yea . . . I'll be right back" I said, walking upstairs.  
I headed into Kate's room.

I closed the door behind me, and turned to lock it.  
I lifted the wet shirt over my head, and threw it on the floor.

Then I remembered something.  
While we were getting ready for the party Kate had broken the latch on the door.

I couldn't remember what she had done.  
But we weren't supposed to lock it, because it kept getting stuck after that. You couldn't open it from the inside.

"Shit" I muttered, spinning around to face the door.  
I wiggled the doorknob, no luck.

I tried to unlock it, but it wouldn't budge.  
"Son of a bitch" I muttered.

I pounded on the door, uselessly, for a minute.  
"Hello!? Let me out! Anybody out there!? Let me out!" I shouted.

It was no use though, nobody was supposed to be up here.  
And, the music was too loud.

Then an idea came to me.  
I was suddenly thankful for the Blood Bound thing. I could use telepathy to contact Austin and have him get me out of here.

_"Austin!" _I thought loudly, reaching out to Austin's mind _"Get me out! I'm locked in your sister's room"  
"Oh, sure" _he thought in response _"Just hold on a second, okay?" _

_"Okay" _I thought back.

I slipped into his head for a second.  
Just to make sure he was coming.

_**** _

_He was with Kyle, Bonnie, Taylor, and Nikki.  
"I'll be right back, guys" he said "I gotta take care of some things" _

_"Okay" they said.  
He weaved through the crowds towards the stairs._

_****_

I left his head, confident that he was coming.  
I could hear his voice on the other side of the door now.

"Becca?" he called.  
"Yea" I called back "Now, get me out of here!"

"Okay" he said.  
The doorknob wiggled, and then opened.

"Thank you" I sighed.  
He was staring at me, but not at my face.

He was staring at my chest.  
Eyebrows raised, looking surprised.

"Uh, you know you don't have a shirt on, right?" he asked.  
I looked down and, sure enough, I wasn't wearing a shirt.

All I had on was the lacy black bra I had put on before.  
Sadly, when I was flipping out about being locked in here, I had forgotten I had taken the wet shirt off.

"Uh, I do now" I said awkwardly.  
"Well, this is awkward" Austin said, stating the obvious.

"Extremely" I said, blushing deeply.  
"Yea. . .maybe I should go now-" Austin was cut off by a loud booming angry voice.

"What are you doing!?!?!?!"

Austin looked over his shoulder.  
And I peered around him.

To see Ken and Jake standing at the foot of the stairs.  
_"You have got to be kidding me" _I thought.

Did they honestly have to stalk me? Did they have to crash Austin's party?  
Do they have to embarrass me like I knew they were about to?

If I asked them those questions ten bucks says they would say 'yes.'

"What are you doing!?" Jake roared, running up to us.  
"Seriously, Jake" I said hastily "This really isn't what it looks like! You see-"

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt!?" he demanded, ignoring me.  
"I was trying to explain that to you!" I shouted in exasperation "If you would just let me finish a-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear your excuses, were leaving. Now!" he screamed in my face.  
He grabbed my wrist and started pulling me towards the stairs.

I struggled against him furiously.  
I was not going downstairs into the middle of a party, without a shirt on. No way in hell.

Austin caught up with us instantly. He stood in front of Jake, blocking his way.  
"Hey!" he growled in Jake's face.

"Move, damnit!" Jake shouted.  
"No!" Austin hissed furiously "Now, let her go!"

I looked over the banister.  
Everyone downstairs was looking up at us.

But almost nobody was looking at _me.  
_They were looking at Jake and Austin. Who were about to rip each others throats out.

"No, now fuck off" Jake shouted.  
"Get the fuck out of my house" Austin growled dangerously.

"I will" Jake said evenly "First, you have to get out of our way"  
"I said you have to leave. Becca can stay" Austin hissed.

"There is no way in hell she is staying here" Jake snapped.  
"I believe that is up to her" Austin said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, she is clearly too _stupid _to make descions for herself. Or else I wouldn't of walked in on you two" Jake hissed menacingly.  
"Hey!" I protested angrily.

"Do not call Becca stupid" Austin snarled dangerously.  
"She'd have to be stupid to trust you" Jake retorted.

"Jake, just let me explain!" I begged.  
"Shut up!" he shouted at me "You miserable little slut!"

"That's it" Austin snarled.  
Then he punched Jake in the eye.

He stumbled, and let go of my wrist.  
I jumped away from him quickly.

"You little fucked up bastard!" Jake shouted.  
His eye was all swollen, and I'd bet 10 dollars he'd have a black eye tomorow.

Jake threw a punch at Austin, but he ducked agilely.  
Frustrated, Jake just shoved Austin. Hard.

He stumbled, and fell.  
He put his hands out instinctively to catch his fall.

But a peice of sharp wood was sticking out of the wood floor.  
It stabbed into Austin's hand.

He growled in fury and pain as he hit the floor.  
Austin looked more pissed then he had in a while.

He clutched his bleeding hand in pain.  
"You hurt me!" he shouted at Jake.

Just like an animal, when he got hurt he got angry.  
He was directing that anger at Jake, the one who hurt him.

He got to his feat.  
Blood tinged the pale skin of his injured hand.

He was glaring at Jake with so much hate that it made me feel vaguely afraid.  
He lips were parted in a horrific teeth-baring grimace.

I could see his fangs starting to grow.  
Like they did when he was angry.

He began stalking towards Jake, looking utterly bloodthirsty.  
No pun intended.

Just then, Domingo came running up the stairs.  
Flanked by Jupiter and Mars.

Domingo rushed up to Austin, going a little too fast for a human speed.  
He quickly grabbed Austin's arms, and pinned them behind his back.

While Domingo restrained Austin, Jupiter and Mars stood in front of him.  
Making a second line of defense.

"Austin, Austin, calm down" Domingo hissed urgently.  
Austin struggled angrily against Domingo.

He was glaring at Jake, his metallic eyes seething with anger.  
Jake stood there looking terrified, a hand over his eye.

"Calm down . . ." Domingo repeated "Calm down. . ."  
Jupiter and Mars stood in front of him, ready to act at a moments notice.

I looked down at the watching crowd, it was silent.  
Somebody had turned off the music so everyone could hear. . . damn them.

Some people looked like they wanted the display to end so the party could continue.  
Others looked like they wanted a fight to break out.

I saw Kate and Tora running up the stairs.  
I noticed Ralph, and Diablo standing by the foot of the stairs. Looking like bouncers. They were trying to keep people from going upstairs now. Good idea, it wasn't safe up here right now.

Domingo began to pull Austin away.  
Jupiter and Mars followed, looking wary.

Austin struggled angrily, "I'm gonna kill him!" he shouted "I'm gonna kill him!"  
"Calm down" Domingo repeated "Calm down. . ."

Domingo pulled Austin into his room, Jupiter and Mars followed.  
In the dead silence I could hear a loud crashing sound from the room.

I wondered what Austin broke. . .

Tora went up to Jake, she moved his hand away from his eye.  
"Oh" she said, clucking her tongue in disapproval "Look at that eye. . .Well, c'mon. Let's get you some ice for that"

Unhappily, Jake followed Tora downstairs into the kitchen.  
Ken shot me a icy glare before following behind Jake.

Kate rushed up to me, and put a arm over my shoulder.  
"Shhhh, it's okay" she soothed.

I didn't realize I was crying.  
I was surprised, I wasn't sad at all. I was angry. Really, _really _angry. Passionately angry.

She led me towards her room, saying random soothing things.  
She closed the door behind her, not locking it.

I sat down on her bed.  
Sobbing angrly.

She sat next to me, she put an arm around my shoulder.  
"It's okay. C'mon, Rebecca, don't cry" she soothed.

The door opened.  
Rach, Mandy, Hannah, and Dianna came in.

"Oh my God!" Hannah exclaimed "That was horrible!"  
"Yea, your brothers are such asses!" Mandy added.

"Especially Jake" Dianna said.  
"At least Austin gave him a nice black eye" Rach added.

They all sat down on the bed.  
Trying to soothe me.

"Aw Becca" Hannah said "Don't cry. It's gonna be okay"  
"I'm not crying because I'm sad" I managed between my sobs "I'm crying because I'm _angry" _

"And you should be" Rach added fiercely "That was uncalled for"  
"Yea, they didn't even let you explain" Mandy said "That wasn't fair. . . what did happen though?"

"I came. . . in here to get changed" I said between my sobs "But. . .but I locked the door. . .and the lock was broken. . . but I didn't remember until after I took my shirt off. . .so I . . .I started banging on the door. . .Austin came up. . .to see what was taking me so long. And. . . and he opened the door for me. Then. . .then I remembered that I wasn't wearing a shirt. . .so I-I was really embarrassed. So. . . Austin was gonna leave. But-but Jake and Ken showed up. And they just started screaming at me. We-We didn't even do anything!"

I started sobbing again.  
I was so mad. What they did was just plain unfair.

"That's horrible" Dianna mused.  
"Yea, their jackasses" Hannah decided.

I nodded in agreement.  
"Let me get you a shirt" Rach offered.

I nodded again.  
Rach disappeared into Kate's closet.

She searched for a shirt while everyone comforted me.  
I was starting to stop crying.

"Thank God I used water-proof makeup!" Kate rejoiced.  
I laughed shakily, "Thank the lord. . ."

Rach came out with an electric blue lacy tank top.  
"How about this?" she asked.

"It's perfect" I sniffed.  
She threw it at me, and I pulled it over my head.

"Do you wanna go back to the party?" Kate asked softly.  
"In a minute" I said, wiping the remaining tears away, "I'm gonna go check on Austin first. . .you know, make sure he didn't kill someone"

Everyone laughed a little.  
"Okay" Kate said "But he's probably still mad. . ."

"I know" I sighed.  
We all left the room, and all my friends went downstairs.

Where the party was back in full swing.  
The lights were back off, and the music was blaring again.

I went over to Austin's door, and saw Jupiter, Mars, and Domingo standing outside.  
They looked kind of annoyed, but mostly worried.

"What's going on?" I asked "Where's Austin?"  
"Inside" Domingo said "He won't let us back in?"

"Is he alright?" I asked anxiously.  
"I don't know, he won't let us in" Domingo said helplessly.

"Let me see something" I said, gesturing for them to move aside.  
They moved out of my way.

I knocked on the door, "Austin" I called "Can I come in"  
My plea was answered by a feral snarl.

"Please?" I begged "It's just me. Come on, please?"  
"It's not locked" Austin snarled flatly from inside.

I gave Domingo and them a disgusted look.  
How did they not know it was unlocked?

I opened the door cautiously, and stepped in.  
I closed the door behind me.

The room was a mess.  
Shattered glass covered the floor. An end table was knocked over. And it looked like someone had put a fist through the computer monitor. Which is probably exactly what happened.

Austin stood in the corner.  
He was baring his teeth, and his fangs were full extended.

His eyes flickered all over the room.  
Cataloguing everything.

He looked angry, unbelievably angry.  
I understood why he was angry, but I didn't understand why he was _so _angry.

"Austin" I said softly, walking towards him.  
"Get away from me" he hissed.

"Don't be like that" I said quietly "I just wanna help you. . . how's your hand?"  
"It's fine" he hissed.

My eyes flicker to his injured hand.  
There was a nasty looking wound in the center of it, and blood covered his hand.

"It doesn't look fine" I noted.  
"It's fine" he repeated.

"Can I . . . can I just look at it?" I asked.  
"It's fine" he repeated stubbornly.

I took another step forward, he flinched back against the wall.  
He growled menacingly.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked in a small voice "Did I. . .Did I do something. . ."  
His hostile expression faded, but the fangs stayed in place.

Now that the angry mask was gone, he looked. . . vulnerable.  
Vulnerable and scared. . . not a common occurrence in Austin.

"No" he said softly "It-it's not you. It's _him. _It's Jake. . . "  
"I know" I said patronizingly "Jake is an ass. . .but don't let it get to you"

"I know" he said "But, the way he talks to you . . . it just pisses me off . . ."  
"I know, I know" I soothed condescendingly "Now, let me look at your hand"

He let me approach him this time.  
But I still walked slowly, not wanting to set him off.

I gingerly grabbed his hand, avoiding the wound.  
It looked pretty deep, and I doubted it was 'fine.'

My assumption was proved true when my fingers touched a little too close to the wound.  
He winced and hissed under his breath.

"Sorry! Sorry!" I apologized hastily.  
He nodded tightly.

As I was looking at his hand, I noticed that it was the same hand he had the burn on.  
It was concealed underneath the black wristband.

"Maybe Domingo should take a look at it" I suggested.  
He shrugged nonchalantly.

He still looked unhappy, but his fangs were slowly retracting.  
They were always a good gauge of how angry he was.

I grabbed his other hand, and slowly led him outside.  
Domingo, Jupiter, and Mars were still waiting.

They looked relieved to see us.  
Either relieved to see Austin was (generally) alright or relieved that he hadn't killed me.

Domingo, Jupiter, and Mars took Austin somewhere to take care of his hand.  
And I decided to go home.

Jake and Ken had already left, so Kate offered to drive me.  
But all of their cars were in the garage, blocked by the other cars.

So, I told them I was okay to walk.  
Austin probably would of protested this, but nobody felt it necessary to tell Austin.

Apparently, the wound was even worse then it looked.  
Seeing as it was created with very sharp wood.

So, they didn't want to stress him out anymore.  
It wouldn't be helpful.

The party was still going on.  
But people were starting to clear out.

Seeing as the parents would be home soon, and the host was injured.  
The party-goers were scattering.

So, I was perfectly okay walking home at 12 o'clock at night.  
Since, there were tons of other kids running home around me.

Before I walked in my front door, I took my hair down.  
Draping it over my shoulder.

When I walked in the front door, it was dark.  
I half expected to flip on the lights and find Jake and Ken waiting for me again.

Luckily, they weren't.

So, I went upstairs.  
Everyone was asleep.

Even Jake.  
I peered into his room to check too. He was sound asleep, his eye definetly swollen.

I tip-toed into my room.  
And Stanley was already sleeping at the foot of my bed.

Not bothering to change, I slipped into the bed.  
I fell asleep quickly.

Today had been exhausting.  
And tomorow was sure to be too.

My life is so complicated. . .

* * *

**Took me a while to get that done, bcuz I kept re-writing it. But, it's a long one so it's worth it. It's also Christmas so that made it harder. Since, my super-crazy family is visiting. But, I made time. The good news is, I got a labtop! So, now updating will b much easier :) No more fighting over the computer! :)  
Anyway, consider this my Christmas present 2 u! N a review can b ur present 2 me, lol :)  
And, 2 those of u who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! :)**


	29. Crawl

**_"Caretaker"_**

I woke up feeling especially groggy. Mornings suck . . .  
I glanced at my alarm clock, 10:34.

Despite the fact it was pretty late, I didn't feel like getting up.  
It was Saturday, I could sleep in a little, right?

Considering I never do.  
Because the world can never give me a break . . .

So, I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.  
I couldn't though.

Partially because Stanley was poking me with his wet nose, urging me to wake up.  
But also because a little voice in my head was nagging me to get up.

Wake up, wake up, wake up!  
You have things to do today. . . wake up!

I gave into the naggy voice after a few minutes.  
Considering I had some damage control to take care of today.

I had to clear the mess up with Jake and Ken.  
And go see how Austin was doing.

I rolled out of bed.  
I noticed I was still wearing the black skirt and tank top. Yea, not going downstairs in that.

I immediatly shimmied out of the skirt and replaced it with a plain pair of jeans.  
Then I just threw a big black sweatshirt over the tank top.

Yea, I'm such a diva.

Then, after slipping my feat into my sneakers, I ambled downstairs.  
Everyone was in the kitchen this morning.

My dad was at the table, grading papers. I could imagine what he was writing. F, F, F. . .He teaches Advanced Calculus for God's sake! How can you not fail?  
My mom was digging around in the freezer for something.

Ken was slouched over a plate of eggs, poking them absently with his fork.  
Jake was sitting at the table too, sulking.

My gaze immediatly lifted to his black eye.  
It looked like it hurt.

But, I had no sympathy for him.  
Maybe if he didn't walk around being such an ass, bad things wouldn't happen to him.

"Morning" I said as I sat down at the table.  
Jake glared at me.

I grinned smugly back at him.  
Neener, neener, neener. . .

"Morning honey" my mom said casually "You got home late last night"  
"Yea, sorry about that" and then I added, with an accusatory glare at Jake, "We had to drive Austin to the emergency room"

Ok, so that's technically a lie.  
But, the injury was severe enough that, if he were human, we would of had to take him to the emergency room.

"Oh dear" she said, taking an ice pack out of the freezer "What happened?"  
She brought it over to Jake, and he put it over his eye.

"Well" I stated "Jake and Ken showed up and were being jackasses. And Jake got into a fight with Austin. And at one point, Jake pushed Austin and he fell. And, unfortunately, a piece of wood was sticking out of the floor. And it stabbed into Austin's hand"

"Jake!" my mom rebuked.  
I snickered spitefully.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" he defended himself "The little punk punched me in the eye first!"  
My mom raised an eyebrow, "Why did he do that?" she asked curiously.

"Because Jake called me a whore" I hissed.  
"Jake!" my mom rebuked "You don't talk to your sister like that!"

Ha!  
Nobody calls me a whore and gets away with it.

"Sorry, mom" he said, staring at the table "But, if you were there, you would know why I said that. You should of seen what she was wearing!"  
"That's beside the point, Jacob" my mom snapped, hands on hips.

Oh, full name.  
Now she means business. . .

"Sorry" he mumbled.  
"Good" she said, and then looked at me "The only part I don't understand is, why did Austin punch Jake for calling _you_ names?"

Ok, so yea my mom's a little too interested in teenage gossip.  
Well, actually a little too interested in any gossip. . .

"Well" I said, nervously "Austin is sorta . . . kinda my boyfriend"  
I braced myself for an explosion.

Considering how naggish my _brothers _were on this subject, I expected my mother to be even worse.  
But, as usual, she surprised me.

"Oh, well that's nice" she said pleasantly "He's a nice kid, handsome too. I always thought you two would make a cute couple. . ."  
Jake and Ken stared at her, mouthes hanging open.

Ha!  
Put that in your juice box and suck it!

"Uh, thanks" I said, getting up "Well, I gotta go. I wanna go see if Austin's alright"  
"Okay, have fun, honey" she said, smiling brightly.

Before Jake and Ken could recover, I slipped out the door.  
Into the freezing rain.

Son of a bitch. I pulled my hood over my head.  
I trudged through the rain to the Kardigan's, wishing I could use my magical powers to make it sunny. . .

I wonder if witches could change the weather.  
That would be cool.

I should learn to do real magic, so I can be an actual witch.  
Maybe Tora could teach me. . .

It would be so cool to do magic.  
To be powerful and intimidating like the other immortals. . .

I looked at my shoes, they were covered in slushy water.  
They were gonna be totally trashed.

Luckily, I hadn't worn my new converse. Just a pair of old black running shoes.  
If I ruined my new converse my parents would kill me.

Thinking about my parents killing me reminded me how lucky I was that my parents knew nothing of Austin's reputation.  
If they did, I would of been in deep shit.

As long as Jake and Ken kept their big mouths shut I'd be good.  
But if they didn't, I'd be royally screwed over.

As I approached the Kardigan home I wondered what Austin's parents had thought of the incident from yesterday.  
Because, obviously someone had told them.

I scrambled to the front door.  
Not bothering to knock, I opened the door.

I headed straight for the kitchen.  
A number of the group were gathered.

Mr. Kardigan was arguing with someone on the phone.  
I didn't pay close attention to the context though.

Mrs. Kardigan was at the counter. I wonder if she would mind if I call her Hera. . .  
She was preparing some kind of liquid mixture with Tora.

Jupiter and Mars were sitting at the table.  
They seemed oddly somber. Not exactly depressed but certanly composed.

I didn't have a clue where everybody else was.  
But, it was a big house.

Mrs. Kardigan noticed me out of the corner of her eye.  
She turned her neck to smile at me.

"Hi, honey" she greeted me "How are you?"  
"I'm good" I replied "How's Austin?"

Her face darkened a little, not overwhelmingly. But certainly noticeable.  
"He's alright" she said bleakly "His hand's pretty damaged. And, the wood has made him pretty ill, but he should be okay"

"Isn't there a doctor or something we can take him too?" I asked helplessly.  
"Yes, but it's not necessary" she assured me "Domingo has a degree in Vampiric Medicine. Don't worry honey, he'll be fine"

A degree? In Vampiric Medicine?  
They have colleges specifically designed for immortals? Cool. . .

"Okay" I swallowed "Where is he?"  
"In the living room" she told me "But, he might have gone back to sleep"

"Okay" I said.  
I nodded, and headed into the living room.

It was completely spotless.  
One of the perks of having 10 able-boddied people staying in one house.

Austin was stretched out on the leather couch. A blanket was draped over him.  
He was out cold. Sweat dewed on his forehead, and white gauze was wrapped around his injured hand.

Poor Aussie. . .

Hehe. . . he really hates that nickname.  
Hmmm, it's measurably less funny when he isn't awake to flip out about it though. . .

I noticed Domingo kneeling next to the coffee table, going through some box.  
Kate was kneeling next to him, helping him sift through the box.

"How is he?" I asked immediately, skipping the mindless greetings.  
Domingo shrugged, "As well as can be expected, wood makes vampires pretty sick. But, this particular incident isn't particularly fatal"

Does that mean it's okay or just not that bad??  
I need answers, man!

"Yea" Kate chimed in "He'll be fine. Our only problem is trying to reschedule his meeting with the Council. Their so stubborn"  
"Is that what your dad was fighting with someone on the phone about?" I asked.

"Yep" she said, her lips dipping in a slight frown, "Their being so stubborn. I mean, I know their anxious to see Austin again after so long but still. . ."  
"What do they expect him to do?" I asked rhetorically "Go to Hades while he's sick?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Their the Council. They don't have to be reasonable. And, of course, King Zephuros doesn't even have to make sense."  
"King?" I asked, surprised "You guys have a king?"

"Yea, Zephuros is the King of the Azimon. His authority is slightly higher then that of the Council. The Council are elected but the king inherits the throne" she explained "Well, usually"  
"Usually?" I asked curiously.

"Yea, well ummm-" her nervous blather was cut off by a frightened whine.  
All our heads spun to look at Austin.

He was still asleep.  
But he was whimpering. . .like he was having a bad dream.

He rolled over anxiously.  
Then rolled back over to face us again.

He whined uneasily.  
My instincts immediately had me move to go wake him up.

Must be a maternal instincts thing. 'Cause I always feel the need to wake someone up if their having a bad dream.  
Even my dog!

"No" Domingo's voice stopped me, "Don't wake him up. He needs to sleep. If it gets to bad, he'll wake himself up"  
I plopped down on the other couch and sighed,"Fine"

Austin kept tossing and turning uneasily.  
He whimpered in fear occasionally.

He even talked a little in his sleep, something I was sure he didn't do normally.  
"No, no, no" he murmured "Leave me alone. . .no, no, no"

Let me wake him up!  
C'mon! This is just cruel!

I wanted to wake him up so badly, it was driving me crazy.  
And wanting to know what he was dreaming about was driving me crazy on a lesser level.

After about ten minutes I was pratically bouncing in my seat.  
I considered trying to go into his dreams, but Austin had specifically asked me not to do that. . .

But, it was so tempting . . .

Ok, I can't take it anymore.  
I'm gonna go into his dreams and see what the hell he's dreaming about.

Then, right as I was about to crack, he woke up.  
At last.

"No!" he shouted, springing up into a sitting position.  
His eyes darted around the room wildly. Searching for something.

After looking around for a second, he realized it had been a dream.  
He collapsed back onto the couch, breathing heavily.

Domingo, Kate, and I jumped up immediately.  
Kate disappeared into the kitchen, for unknown reasons.

Domingo went over to Austin, and I followed.  
Domingo pressed his hand to Austin's forehead, reminding me of a doctor.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.  
"Sick" Austin mumbled.

"Besides that" Domingo said, seeming a little inpatient.  
"Achey, tired, nauseous" Austin muttered "That better?"

"Mhm" Domingo muttered, deep in thought "Let me see something. . ."  
He walked into the kitchen too.

I kneeled next to Austin.  
He stared at me, silently. His silver eyes wide and apprehensive. Reminding me faintly of a baby deer.

Hmmmm, if I said that aloud Austin would get pissed off. . .  
It would be pretty funny. . .

No, stay focused.  
Austin is sick. . . this is not a good time to iritate him for kicks.

"Hey" I said softly "How are you feeling"  
He shrugged, "Okay, I guess"

I brushed away some of the blonde damp hair that was plastered to his forehead.  
He sighed, seeming agitated.

"I'm sorry about all of this" I apologized "It's all my stupid brother's fault. But you'll be happy to hear you gave him a black eye"  
He laughed shakily "I am. . .he deserved it. . .he shouldn't talk to you that way."

"I know" I assured him "He's an ass"  
"Yea, he is. He doesn't have any right to talk to you like that. To make assumptions, and be such a general ass" he ranted.

Ok, now he's just gonna work himself into a major temper tantrum.  
Because he really needs more stress now. . . heavy on the sarcasm.

"I know, I know" I soothed patronizingly "It's okay, though. You don't need to work yourself up for nothing"  
He conceded, although still seeming agitated.

"So" I said, making small talk, to keep him distracted "You seem worse then last night. Why is that?"  
"With Wood Poisoning it gets progressively worse. In the beginning it's not that bad. But it gets worse over time. It only lasts a few days, though" he elaborated "I'll be fine by Wednesday"

He seemed bothered by this.  
Even though it was only a few days.

"I don't like being sick, either" I told him.  
"Yea, I hate it" he said, seeming highly agitated "Everybody fussing over me. Asking me if I'm okay, doting on me, _patronizing _me" he gave me an accusatory look when he said that part.

"Sorry" I apologized sheepishly ". . .But whats your problem with people taking care of you? That's like the only good part about being sick. Well, that and missing school"  
He shrugged, "I don't know. It just annoys me"

"Well, I think it's awesome" I said stubbornly "Having a caretaker. You don't have to do anything"  
"Mhm" he muttered "You know what's weird? Caretaker and caregiver mean the same thing. . ."

"Hmmm, that is weird" I mused.  
"Very" he agreed.

There was probably a specific reason he didn't like that. . .  
But, I didn't feel the need to get into it.

Kate came back in then, in her hand was a glass full of a red ligiud.  
It was a sickly maroon color. Not the rich scarlet of blood.

She placed it on the end table.  
Then she looked at me.

"Make sure he drinks this" she instructed.  
Why don't you?

"Sure, fine" I said.  
My thoughts are always more bold then my words. . .

Then she pivoted on her left foot and returned to the kitchen.  
I looked at Austin, raising an eyebrow.

"What's that?" I asked.  
"Probably blood loaded up with medication" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, then you better drink it" I said, reaching for the glass.  
I picked up, and was about to hand it to him.

"Wait" I said, pausing "Can you even hold this?"  
"Of course I can" he said, rolling his eys "With this hand, anyway. And even if I couldn't I'd rather try then have you bottle feed me. Yea, no thanks"

"Okay, okay" I said, handing it to him "Just checking"  
"This is that annoying doting thing I was talking about before" he mumbled.

Then he grabbed the glass with his good hand, and pressed it to his lips.  
He drank about half of it before handing it back to me.

"Yuck" he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand "That's how I know it's not just blood. Blood tastes amazing, that tastes disgusting"  
I placed it back on the table, "Medicine isn't supposed to taste good" I said.

"Which doesn't make any sense" he reasoned "Your already sick, why do they have to kick you when your down?"  
"I don't know" I shrugged "For kicks?"

"Probably" he agreed.  
I laughed to myself. I always enjoyed our random conversations.

Austin was the only person I could have a completely pointless conversation with.  
Well, there were a few other people. . . but they weren't nearly as hot.

Then Domingo walked in.  
He had one of those high-tech thermometers in his hand. The kind that you put in your ear, like doctors use.

He walked over to the couch, and I moved out of his way.  
He crouched on the floor next to me.

He clicked some buttons on it before putting it in Austin's ear.  
Austin just rolled his eyes.

A second later the thermometer beeped.  
Domingo took it out and read it.

"103" he said, and then added sarcastically "Lovely"  
Well, that can't be good. . .

"I'm assuming that's bad" I said it like a question.  
"Not that bad" Domingo assured me "Not particularly good. But it could be worse. Hmmm, let me get a wet cloth. . ."

With that, Domingo got up and spun around the room.  
Ok, nice talking to you . . .

"Did I mention that I really hate being sick?" Austin asked rhetorically.  
"Only a bazzilion times" I said sarcastically.

"Well, I'm gonna say it again" he informed me "I really hate being sick"  
"I hadn't noticed" I said with an exaggerated eye roll.

Mrs. Kardigan (Hera) came in then, with a damp cloth.  
Hera was one of the few Greek Goddesses I remembered learning about. She was the Goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth. Ok, so that's pretty accurate for Austin's mom . . .

"Hi, honey" she said, her voice as soft as falling snow.  
"Hey" Austin muttered nonchalantly.

She approached us, her hips swinging as she walked.  
She really was too pretty and skinny to be a mother to two teenage kids.

Seriously though, she's like a freakin model.  
She reminds me of those celebrity moms, except she actually takes care of her children.

Her long ash blonde hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Her silver eyes were wide with worry. She wore no makeup, and really, there was no need. Her heart-shaped ultra-white face was too perfect as it is. Her lips were fuller then any middle-aged women I had ever seen. She was moderately tall (maybe my height.) And, just like her daughter, she was super skinny. With curves that would make any straight guy drool. She wore black slacks, and a high-necked, tight purple top. She smiled brightly, despite her worry.

She strode over to us, and kneeled next to the couch.  
I, once again, moved out of her way.

She placed the damp cool cloth to Austin's forehead.  
She pursed her full lips in concern.

"Is that any better?" she asked.  
"Yea, mom" he said boredly.

"Okay, call me if you need anything" she said firmly, then she got up and fluttered out of the room.  
It was nice to see you too. . .

"You want me to put the tv on?" I asked into the awkward silence.  
"Yea, sure" he said and shrugged.

I reached over to the coffee table.  
I snagged the remote and began flipping through the channels.

I settled on a sitcom that seemed very non-after-school special.  
Which is good, because I can't stand those.

I mean, there all the freakin same!  
It drives me crazy!

Don't do drugs. 'Cause drugs are bad.  
Yea, okay, we get it. Now, shut up.

The show I put on was definitely not an after school special.  
Since, in the first two minutes a women bitch-slapped her boyfriend for sleeping with her sister.

Oh, yea.  
Now _thats _entertainment.

I sat on the floor, slouched against the couch.  
For whatever reason, I prefered the floor to the couch.

After watching and laughing at some other people's problems for a while, Mr. Kardigan walked in.  
I wonder what his real name is. . .

Mr. Kardigan didn't look like a parent, either.  
He was too young looking, mid-thirties or so.

He was also too hot. Which, I can say proudly. Yea, I think my boyfriends dad is hot. What are you gonna do, sue me?  
It only makes sense though. I mean, where else would Austin get his insanely good looks from?

Mr. Kardigan is tall, maybe a little over 6 foot. At least 4 inches taller then his son. He has short golden hair. The color of Golden Retriever fur. It's darker then Mrs. Kardigan's ashy blonde hair. Austin and Kate must get their goldeny hair from him. His pale face is also insanely handsome. His eyes are a light sky blue. His strong chin and nose made him look stubborn. Which he was, nearly as stubborn as his son. His light eyebrows were curved in such away that it always made him look like he was contemplating something very interesting. He wore plain jeans and a grey sweater. He walked confidently, his head held high. He didn't look like the kinda guy you messed with.

Mr. Kardigan strode in, looking pleased.  
His lips were tilted into a pleasant smile.

"Good news" he said in his rich deep voice "I convinced the Council to hold the meeting this Thursday instead"  
"Don't you mean threatened?" Austin asked.

Mr. Kardigan smiled, a slightly guilty smile.  
"Well, if that's what it takes" he proclaimed.

Then he boomed a laugh, that was so loud it could probably cause an avalanche.  
And then, strode out of the room.

For the rest of the day I kept Austin company.  
We watched movies, and I eat junky foods.

Everyone had been nice enough not to bother us.  
How could Austin possibly relax with a bunch of people in here screaming like banchees?

So, it was just me and Austin.  
Watching movies and chilling. It was nice.

Around 9:00 PM, in the middle of _The Hangover_, Austin fell asleep.  
Wow, he really was sick. I mean, who falls asleep during _The Hangover? _It's like the best move ever.

After finishing the movie by myself, I decided I should go.  
I stood up, stretched, and cracked my knuckles. Yea, some people find it annoying. But, I can't help it.

Then I tip-toed over to Austin, and kissed him on his warm forehead.  
"Night, Aussie" I whispered.

I stole one last glance at his peacful face.  
He did look truly adorable when he was asleep.

Then I turned the tv off, and made my way blindly to the door in the dark.  
I found it, left, and closed it behind me.

Mrs. Kardigan, Mr. Kardigan, Domingo, and Kate were all in the kitchen.  
I was sure everyone else was in the basement. Which had a tv room, mini kitchen, and several guest rooms. It was pretty much a mini-apartment.

"He's asleep" I announced.  
"Okay" Mrs. Kardigan said "Thanks for keeping him company, Becca"

"No problem" I said, smiling back at her "Really. He's actually easier to deal with when he's sick . . ."  
She laughed, "Not that much easier. . ."

"True" I conceded "Well, I'm gonna head home"  
"Do you have to?" Kate whined.

"Yea" I sighed "I can't come home late again tonight, it'll annoy my parents. So, better to go home early."  
"Well, alright" Kate said "See you tomorrow"

"Yea, bye everyone" I called as I headed out the door.  
They called their byes to me as I closed the door behind me.

I walked down the dark street to my house.  
It was only a few blocks, so I didn't mind walking.

It was fucking cold though!  
Damn you, seasonal weather . . .

I was defiantly one of the kids who like to use the phrase _'no mom, I don't need a jacket'  
_Just because jackets were for losers. I rather freeze then wear a dorky jacket. Any day.

Even in the chilling October (strike that, November) wind, I didn't regret not wearing a jacket.  
Besides, my too-big sweatshirt was warm enough.

When I got home, everyone was still awake.  
Well, not everyone.

My dad was sleeping on the couch, the Yankee Game playing (unwatched) on the screen.  
I ignored that, and flitted into the kitchen.

It was empty, which didn't happen often.  
I headed for the staircase, and went upstairs.

As I passed my parent's room, I could see my mom through the open door.  
She was yapping on the phone, she waved silently to me.

I waved back, and rolled my eyes after I had turned my back on her.  
Talk, talk, talk. It's all she ever does!

I passed Jake's room. It was empty.  
Then I passed Ken's room. It was empty too.

They were probably at the movies, or mall, or a party or something.  
Oh, thats messed up. The only reason I came home was because I thought they were gonna chew me out if I came home late. My parents could care less.

Ugh!  
Typical . . .

I went into my room, and closed the door behind me.  
Stanley was chewing on a shoe in the corner. How cliche. . .

"Hey, Stanley" I greeted him.  
His big brown eyes looked up at me, and wagged his tail a little. I took that as a 'hello.'

I headed for my closet, to find some suitable PJ's.  
I grabbed a pair of purple pajama pants with little guitars on them, and then a grey tee. I scooped them into my arms, along with a pair of underwear.

Then, I made my way to the bathroom.  
I took a nice long hot shower.

I was in there for an hour when my mom started yelling at me to come out.  
"Becca!" she called "Hurry up!"

"Okay!" I called back.  
I finished up the shower in a few more minutes.

Then, I got dressed, gathered up my dirty clothes and left.  
I went back into my room and threw the clothes in the hamper.

Then, I went back into the bathroom to prep for bed.  
As, I so often didn't because I got home late and was half-asleep already.

I brushed my teeth, until they were nice and minty fresh.  
Then I brushed my wet hair, but didn't blow dry it. Too much of a time waster.

Then, I washed my face.  
I used this special pore-cleansing shit on my face.

I mean, I'm not like those physco girls who feel the need to exfoliate every square inch of skin.  
But, I do like to have nice healthy skin.

But seriously. some of those girls are crazy.  
I mean, they clean their faces with mud! Ironic much?

On that note, I went into my room.  
I layed down in my bed, and decided to read.

Reading is one of those things that is actually cool, but stupid posers say is dorky.  
Well, they can just bite me.

I picked up were I had left off in _"The Glass Castle."  
_A really interesting book actually.

After reading for about an hour, I decided to go to sleep.  
Doing nothing all day had exhausted me.

So, I put the book down, and turned off the lights.  
I stumbled blindly back into bed, and tucked myself in under the covers.

Wow, today had felt like such a long day.  
Even though, I did absolutely nothing.

Funny, how the world works.

* * *

**Now THIS, is my longest chapter. 5,114 words! Wow! I beat my own personal record! Woah!  
Anyway, as u've probably noticed, I switch between past and prescene tense a lot. . .its like my biggest flaw in writing. . .well, I think.  
So, I've decided to make this present tense. So, I made sure this chapter was soley present tense.  
And, do me a favor, and yell at me if I switch to past-tense in the future. Thanks. **

**And oh yea, please review!  
U no how much I heart reviews! **


	30. Blow Me Away

**_"Incantations" _**

I woke up surprisingly early, 7:45, well for a Sunday that's early.  
What's wrong with me??

I rolled out of my bed, feeling oddly rested.  
My feet got tangled in the sheets and I wrestled with them relentlessly.

But, after grappling with the sheets for a few minutes, I was free.  
Ha, take that.

I trudged downstairs in my pajamas, since it was early enough that I could chill for a while.  
In my own house. . . hmmm, weird.

I feel like I barely live here, it feels more like a friends house then home.  
And my friends house feels more like home then my real house. . .

Very confusing.  
I refuse to hurt my head any more thinking about it.

I headed into the kitchen, only to find it empty.  
So, I drifted into the living room.

Jake and Ken were lounging on the couch, eating bowls of cereal.  
They were lazily watching some tv show.

"Morning" I said lazily, plopping down on the other couch.  
"Morning" Jake muttered, taking another spoonful of cereal.

Ken just nodded at me, barely looking at me.  
Such the social butterfly. . .

"So, where were you two last night?" I asked sociably.  
"At the movies" Jake mumbled "What's it to you?"

"Just wondering" I said innocently "I just noticed you guys weren't home"  
"Well, we have lives too, you know" he snapped at me.

Oh, feisty.  
Who died and didn't leave him money?

"Oh, I never noticed" I said sarcastically "I thought your sole purpose in life was to stalk me"  
"No, that's just our hobby" he retorted sparkly.

Well, here goes nothing.  
I would have to do this sooner or later.

"Look" I sighed "Can you just let me explain to you what happened on Friday?"  
Ken's dull expression perked up at that.

"Fine" Jake muttered "But, don't expect me to understand"  
Now, why would I expect my brother to be understanding?

"Okay" I explained "Well, it was really just a horrible coincidence. . .and your horrible timing. You see, I spilled some liquor on myself" I smiled impishly "And went to go change. But, I forgot I wasn't supposed to lock Kate's door. Cause the lock was broken. But, I remembered. _After _I took my shirt off. So, I started banging on the door for someone to let me out. And, Austin had come upstairs wondering what was taking so long. So, he heard me and let me out. And then you two showed up"

Jake snorted, "Fine, but I still don't like him"  
I groaned, "He's really not that bad. Seriously, it's all just hipe."

"Yea, sure it is" Jake said, rolling his eyes.  
"Oh c'mon" I moaned "Like your the patron saint of respecting women."

"I'm not as bad as he is" Jake countered.  
"Do you think Brenna would agree?" I retorted.

He staggered for a second, "Don't bring her into this" he growled.  
"I think she's a perfect example" I said haughtly.

Brenna Orleans is Jake's ex-girlfriend. She's a smart and pretty blonde, who's on the honor roll and soccer team. And I have no clue what she ever saw in my brother. She's pretty tall, around my height. She's a junior, like me. She always wears her platinum blonde hair in a high playful ponytail. And her creamy colored face is in the shape of a perfect heart. She's perky and upbeat. She's a little too goodie-too-shoes for my tastes, but she's pretty nice.

She had started going on with my brother at the end of last year. They made a cute couple, as far as looks are concerned. But, personality wise they were polar opposites, if you ask me. She was perky, organized, and a perfect citizen. Jake, on the other hand, is irresponsible, unorganized, and an under-achiever. I knew it wouldn't last. It lasted a few months, four I think. And then (by some miracle) they ended up hooking up in her car. Now, I have no clue how a smart girl like that would be dumb enough to sleep with my brother. Maybe she has father issues or something. . . But, anyway, a week after that Jake had dumped her. She'd been devastate, but had gotten over it pretty quickly. Hey, the plus side is she wouldn't have to worry about losing her virginity. And now, she was dating Nick (Austin's friend) and possibly sleeping with him too.

Now, it may sound creepy that I know that my brother had sex with his girlfreind in her car. . .  
But it had been the hottest gossip at school that entire week.

And (after my eyes stopped bleeding from the mental images) I was able to get into it.  
You gotta love good gossip, especially when you can use it against your brother. Like, perhaps, telling Mom? If I felt like being cruel.

"That was her choice" Jake said defensively.  
"And you think the girls Austin has slept with didn't have a choice?" I retorted.

"I-uh-well, I guess" Jake mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.  
Oh my God! My brother just listened to reason! I think I might faint!

"Oh my God!" I said "You just listened to reason! I think I might faint!"  
"Haha" he said, bitterly sarcastic.

"So, Jake" I sighed "Can we come to some kind of common ground. . .or something? Please, this is driving me crazy"  
"I guess we can think of something" he grumbled.

"Good!" I chirped "You don't have to like Austin, but you gotta stop harassing us."  
"We'll see. . ." he mumbled.

"Good, now I gotta get ready to go" I said, jumping up.  
Jake grumbled unintelligibly to himself.

I ran upstairs, and changed into a royal purple sweatshirt, and skinny jeans.  
Applied some eyeliner, and mascara.

Then, rushed back downstairs.  
As I passed the living room, Jake's voice stopped me.

"Where are you going?" he asked.  
"Austin's" I said ". . .duh"

"Why?" he asked.  
"C'mon" I groaned "I thought you were gonna be nicer"

"I am. . .but as a trade off, I'm going to be extremly nosy" he elaborate.  
I groaned, "Fine. . ."

"Now, why?" he repeated.  
"Because he's my boyfriend" I said rolling my eyes "And because he's sick. He picked up some bug when we were at the emergency room"

I gave him a faint glare when I said the last part.  
He looked a little uncomfortable.

"Uh, ummm. Tell the little punk I'm sorry about putting him in the hospital" he said grudgingly.  
I smiled brightly, very pleased, "I will"

I opened the door, but paused when he spoke again.  
Shut up so I can leave already!

"And remember" he added menacingly "If you sleep with him. . . I'll know"  
"What are you? The Mafia?" I asked as I slipped out the door.

I rushed down the bright street, it was a busy Sunday morning.  
A lot more people were out, and I avoided eye contact.

I didn't feel like getting distracted by people.  
So, I ducked my head and kept my eyes on the sidewalk.

When I reached the Kardigan's I was happy not to run into anyone.  
After the fiasco at the party on Friday I cut off contact from the rest of the world.

I was dreading school tomorrow, especially since I wouldn't have Austin to hide behind.  
People were totally gonna chew me out.

But, luckily, my friends wouldn't put up with anyone who gave me shit.  
And, Austin's friends would probably defend me on his behalf.

I headed up towards the front door.  
Not bothering to knock or anything like that, I opened the door.

The kitchen held a few occupants.  
Mrs. Kardigan, and Kate.

Mrs. Kardigan was at the counter, preparing some kind of vile.  
I assumed it was Austin's medicine, it was the same color anyway.

Kate was helping her, absently glancing at her phone every so often.  
Either checking for a message or checking the time. I dunno.

"Hey guys" I said "What's up?"  
"Not much" Kate said "Just preparing the medicine for Austin. It's a lot more involved then you'd think!"

I laughed, "Where is he?"  
"In the living room" she told me "He's still asleep though"

"Okay" I said as I disapeared into the living room.  
The scene was simmilar to yesterdays.

Austin was collapsed on the couch, the same blanket tossed over him. Sweat still dewed on his forehead, and plastered his blonde hair to his forehead. I could see his injured hand, white bandages were still wrapped around it. His eyes were closed and his dark lashes brushed against his cheek. His plump lips were parted slightly.

The picture of innocence.

Tora was sitting on the other couch, reading a large leather bound book.  
Domingo was looking through that box again, every so often he glanced at his phone.

Oh, c'mon! Don't tell me there texting each other from different rooms! That's ridiculous!  
I mean, I know Austin and I are pretty lovey-dovey sometimes. But, we never did stuff like that, it's just ridiculous.

Mars was on the computer in the corner, looking at something on the computer.  
I couldn't see what it was from here though.

"Hey" I said quietly.  
Mars mumbled 'hey' and Domingo nodded at me.

Tora actually gave a verbal response.  
"Morning Becca" she said brightly, keeping her voice low "How are you?"

"Good" I said, sitting down next to her, "Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure, ask away" she said, smiling.

"Do you think you could teach me to do magic?" I asked hesitantly.  
"Well, I don't see why not" she said, seeming intrigued "You are a witch, and somebody has to teach you"

"Thats great" I trilled "Thank you! When should we do it?"  
"Hmmmm, today?" she wondered.

"Excelent" I agreed.  
"Good. . .we can start after breakfast" she promised.

Before I could agree, music blared from the computer.  
A 'Three Days Grace' roared to life randomly.

"Turn that off!" Tora hissed at Mars "Your gonna wake Austin up!"  
"Sorry, sorry!" he apologized, fumbling with the speakers.

He got the music off before it could wake up Austin.  
Tora rolled her eyes.

After that we ate breakfast.  
A nice meal of french toast and blueberry muffins. They weren't blueberry pancakes but they were damn good!

After eating, Tora and I went into the living room.  
Alone, well excpet for Austin.

Who was sleeping peacfull on the couch.  
I glanced at him occasionaly, just liking the look of his innocent face.

"Okay" Tora began "The first spell any witch ever learns is to summon an element"  
"An element" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

We didn't bother keeping our voices low.  
Austin was pretty much in a coma. Apparently the whole 'vampires can only sleep in total darkness' thing didn't apply to Wood Poisioning.

"Earth, fire, water, wind, spirit, blood, sleep, light, darkness" she elaborate "Now, pick one. Which do you want to try first?"  
"Hmmm, well" I said slowly "Fire is very tempting. But, for my first try, I'll pick something less destructive. Like. . .light"

She nodded, "Good choice. Now, close your eyes"  
I obeyed, shutting my eyes tightly.

"Now, how dark is it?" she asked.  
"Extremely dark" I answered.

"Imagine it even darker" she instructed "So dark you can barely feel yourself"  
It was hard to imagine that level of darkness, but I did as I was told.

I imagined the darkest dark I could.  
Without any speck of light.

"Now, imagine something illuminating the dark" she said in a mysterious voice "A warm bright light"  
I pretended it wasn't dark behind my eyelids.

And then soon, it wasn't.  
I could sense a light in front of my eyes. Like when you look at the sun with your eyes closed.

"Open you eyes" Tora said, her voice dripping with excitement.  
I opened them, and was very surprised.

A yellow fog was floating in the air around me.  
It looked like sunshine only in a mist around me.

"Wow. . ." I murmured in awe.  
"Yes" Tora agreed "Thats very impressive. . .now try to control it"

I focused on the light, imagining it as an extension of my own body.  
I felt the urge to direct it with my hand.

So I swayed my hand back and forth, feeling like some kind of gypsy doing some kind of ritual.  
And, as my hand moved, the light followed.

Amazed, I began to flick my wrist up and down. Pointing it in different directions of the room.  
The light danced around under my command.

It was exhilarating.  
A happy giggle escaped my lips, this was amazing!

"Very good" Tora appraised "Now try another"  
"Hmmmm. . . how about water?" I suggested.

"Okay" she instructed "Now, for water. I want you to imagine that your thirsty"  
I imagined a big 'ol chocolate milkshake and found that my mouth already felt dry.

Well, that was easy.  
I wasn't just imagining I was thirsty now, I really was.

"Okay. . .now imagine water" she commanded "Imagine it raining down from the skies to quench your thirst"  
I thought about rain falling lightly from the sky, but no rain came.

Instead, bubbles appeared.  
They floated up from the floor, surrounding me.

In awe, I reached out to touch one.  
It didn't pop under my touch. I held it on my finger, examining it.

"Wow" I breathed.  
"Fun, isn't it?" Tora asked with a smile.

"Yes, very" I agreed.  
"Which would you like to try next?" she wondered.

"Hmmmm, wind?" I suggested.  
"Okay, wind is a little harder to visualize" she explained "Since there aren't many common situations where it is necessary"

I nodded in agreement and to show I was paying attention.  
"But, I want you to imagine a hot summer day. It's humid and there isn't a single bit of wind to cool you down" she continued.

I imagined myself on a boardwalk, the sun scorching down. Moist hot air around me. Pressing down on my lungs.  
It was so real, I almost felt like I was there. Damn, I have a vivid imagination.

"Now, imagine a big gust of wind coming through and cooling things off" Tora added.  
I obeyed.

I imagined a huge gust of wind sweeping over the boardwalk. Rustling the palm trees and sending hats flying.  
I imagined it blowing away the hot unbreathable air.

And then I could feel the wind.  
I could actually _feel _it. Not just in my imagination.

A light wind caressed my face.  
I opened my eyes and wind blew into them, although not painfully.

The wind played with my hair.  
Lifting it and dropping it. Making it move like it was alive.

I smiled.  
This magic thing was a sinch!

"Wow, this is great!" I trilled "Let's do another!"  
"Okay, okay" she said, laughing indulgently "What next?"

"How about earth?" I asked.  
"Okay. . .close your eyes and imagine a barren field" she instructed.

I closed my eyes, and in my head I saw a barren field. The grass was a dull greenish yellow and there were no trees. Gravely dirt could be seen in patches. The smell of sour dirt wafted through the air. No animals were in sight. It was bleak, and empty. Completely lifeless.

"Now, imagine plants. Blooming and blossoming" she cooed in an enchanting voice "Imagine grass growing green and healthy"  
I imagined all those things.

I imagined the dull grass becoming a bright jade. And growing longer and shaggier. Then I imagined flowers sprouting up. Lillies, poppies, tulips, violets, all sorts. Even trees. Evergreens, apple trees, orange trees, nut trees, maple trees. . .all kinds. And bushes too. Rose bushes, pricker bushes, and blueberry bushes. Tons of those. And the sour smell of old dirt was exchanges for the fresh smell of healthy dirt, and freshly cut grass. I could hear birds singing, and animals scurrying around.

"Open your eyes" Tora instructed, her voice excited.  
I opened my eyes.

Tora was standing in front of me, holding a potted plant. She must of snatched it when I was inside my own little garden.  
It was a scraggly looking plant, half dead, but before my eyes it started to grow.

The stem changed from dull green to bright jade.  
And bright yellow flowers began to sprout.

"Oh!" I enthused "I brought a plant back to life! That's so cooool!"  
Tora laughed, "Yes, it is. Would you like to try another? Your making exceptional progress, I might add"

"Oh yes!" I trilled "How about. . .fire?"  
"Alright, but be careful with this one. It can get a little out of hand" she mentioned.

"Okay" I breathed, readying myself.  
"Alright" she said "Now imagine that your cold. Very cold, your freezing"

In my mind I saw a barren tundra. White Arctic landscape around me. Pointed cliffs and sharp ditches. But nothing else.  
Bleak baren, snow covered, landscape. Snow was falling in big puffy flakes. It was cold, I could almost feel it.

"Now, think warmth" she instructed.  
I imagined a prickly warm overtaking the bleak arctic scene. You could almost see a orangish haze.

"Hotter" she continued "It's getting hotter"  
I thought of it getting hotter, and then I could feel warmth. Actually _feel_ it It was getting hotter and hotter.

"Open your eyes" Tora told me.  
I opened my eyes, and looked at my hands.

They were glowing red hot. But I didn't feel the heat.  
Now I understood how Austin was able to have fire on his hands without burning himself.

I turned my hands, palms up.  
Then I imagined a blazing inferno. I remembered back to when Austin had incased us in blue fire when we were invaded at Tora's.

And little mini blazes appeared on my hands.  
Okay, so it was no blue fire. But it was still pretty cool.

"Woah!"

I looked up to see Austin was awake.  
He was laying on the couch, rubbing his wide eyes. He looked shocked.

"Isn't she doing exceptional?" Tora asked him.  
He sighed in relief, "Oh good. You see it too. I thought I was hallucinating . . ."

I laughed, "Morning Austin. Tora's teaching me to do magic. See?" I raised my burning hands "Isn't it cool"  
"Very" he agreed, wiping sweat of his forehead.

"Let me go tell them he's awake" Tora said "Just wait a minute"  
"Alright" I said easily, I was surprised how happy I was.

I felt light-hearted and giddy.  
And, honestly, mildly high.

Tora strode out of the room into the kitchen.  
Austin rolled his eyes and raked a hand through his mildly damp hair.

"Isn't this so cool!" I gushed "Wanna see me do something else?"  
He shrugged, "Okay"

Now, that I knew what to do, I had a feeling I could conjure them again.  
I thought about water. About how I was thirsty and needed water.

And, without having to picture vivid imagery, bubbles began to float up from the floor.  
Dancing around me.

"Cool" Austin noted.  
"I know right!" I exclaimed, feeling oddly happy.

I let the bubbles deflate.  
They popped at random intervals, it was cool to watch.

Then, Mrs. Kardigan and Domingo came in.  
They headed straight for Austin.

They began asking him how he felt, if he was cold, if he was hot, if his hand hurt.  
And Austin mumbled responses to their questions.

Domingo whipped out the thermometer and placed it in Austin's ear.  
Austin mouthed the words, "Kill me"

I held back a laugh.  
"104" Domingo muttered "Hera can you-"

"I'm on it" Mrs. Kardigan said, getting up and rushing into the kitchen.  
Domingo nodded and turned his attention back to Austin.

He began examining Austin's injured hand.  
Then he unwrapped the bandages, revealing a nasty wound.

Their was a huge puncture wound directly in the middle.  
Dried blood covered the pale skin around it.

Domingo grabbed a bottle of clear liquid, and a cloth from the table.  
He dabbed the liquid onto the cloth.

Then he began to clean the cut with it.  
Well, Austin didn't like that.

He winced and then snarled at Domingo.  
He tried to jerk his hand away, but Domingo was too strong. And, currently, Austin was too weak.

"Easy" Domingo commanded "Don't worry, I'm almost done"  
Austin hissed at Domingo angrily.

And then Domingo was done.  
And now the cut looked a little better. Well, at least their was no dried blood surrounding it anymore.

"See?" Domingo said, wrapping Austin's hand with new bandages, "That wasn't so bad"  
"Not for you it wasn't" Austin grumbled.

Once Domingo was finished tending to Austin's hand, Mrs. Kardigan came back.  
In one hand she had the maroon colored medicine, and in the other she had a damp cloth.

She placed the glass on the table.  
And then placed the wet cloth on Austin's forehead.

"We'll be back in a little while" Mrs. Kardigan promised "Make sure you drink that"  
Austin nodded dully, and then Domingo and Mrs. Kardigan went into the kitchen.

"Would you like to continue?" Tora asked.  
I jumped, I hadn't realized she was back.

"Ugh, okay" I said.  
"Alright. We'll do one more. You don't wanna overdo it. Especially your first day. Which one would you like to try next?" she wondered.

"Hmmmm, how about sleep?" I asked "That was one of them, right?"  
"Yes it is" she assured me "Now, imagine a baby, crying. They won't go to sleep. . . ."

I closed my eyes and imagined a baby. A beautiful blonde little baby in a crib. The crib was blue and made of metal. Not wood. The room was painted baby blue, and baby things scattered the room. A changing table, toy chest, toys, the whole nine yards. The little blond baby had his eyes shut tight, his lashes brushing against his pale skin. The baby was wearing those cute little feety pajamas. He was kicking, and screaming. And crying, wailing loudly. A women with long blond hair was looking into the crib. I couldn't see her face, just her skinny figure and billows of light hair.

"Now imagine a lulaby" Tora cooed in her mystifying voice "Soothing and calming the baby"  
I didn't even have to imagine that part, it just. . .happened.

The woman began to croon to the baby.  
In a language I had never even heard of!

_"Na la desona sarmon  
Lon farleas heam  
Xavian luna pandores deversa  
Halana mulas kendores  
Hypnos ana Vulcan  
Hypnos freverent" _

The baby began to drift to sleep.  
He became very still, the only movement from his fluttering chest.

The women touched the baby's hair lovingly.  
Then, with a sigh she turned.

And Mrs. Kardigan's silver eyes were staring at me.


	31. Bleed It Out

_**"Lullaby"**_

_She looked pretty much the same.  
Except she wore a red cocktail dress, interesting attire for taking care of a baby. _

_Her eyes passed over me and she headed for the door.  
Terribly confused, I drifted towards the crib. _

_I looked in at the sleeping infant.  
He was sleeping on his side, his blonde hair was all ruffled and a teddy bear lay abandoned next to him. _

_He was painfully adorable.  
His long lashes brushed against his pale cheek, and his full lips were parted slighty._

_Then, without warning, his eyes shot open.  
The bluest eyes I had ever seen. __  
_

_***** _

And I was suddenly back in the Kardigan's living room.  
"Becca?" Tora asked "Are you alright?"

"Yea. . .sorry" I lied "I zoned out"  
"Well, look it's working!" she told me cheerfully.

I saw a purplish haze float around the room.  
It began to gravitate towards Austin.

It began to wrap around him.  
The purple haze levatated around him.

As the haze touched him, his eyes closed a little.  
Then fluttered open again.

"Hey" he protested sleepily "Don't practice that magic crap on me. . ."  
He was cut off by a yawn.

"Your getting very sleepy" I said in a mock-gypsy-like voice.  
He rubbed his eyes sleepily, "Seriously" he managed before another yawn "I don't wanna sleep anymore. . .stop. . ."

His eyes closed, and then fluttered open again.  
"Are you sure?" I teased "Because you look awfully tired to me. Maybe you should sleep a little more. . ."

He yawned, and rested back into the couch.  
"You suck" he muttered sleepily as his eyes closed.

They didn't re-open this time, and he fell asleep.  
The only movement was from his fluttering chest.

"You did it!" Tora congratulated "You knocked him out cold!"  
"Now, _thats _cool" I said "I gotta try that on my brothers sometimes. . ."

She laughed, "It's remarkable how the most basic incantations can be so usefull"  
"Yea, seriously" I agreed "How long with that keep him out for?"

"Depends" she said and shrugged "on how long you want him to sleep."  
"I think he's gonna stay asleep for a little longer" I decided.

She laughed, "Well, alright. That's enough magic for today. We'll wrap up the other elements tomorrow. And then move onto to conjuring objects. Tonight, practice the elements we did today. Of course, do them alone. And don't let them get out of hand"

I nodded, "Ok, sure. Cool"  
"Wonderful" she said as she ghosted out of the room.

I sat on the couch opposite Austin.  
He was still sleeping soundly.

I decided to wake him up, I needed help.  
I concentrated on lifting the sleep spell.

When I was done, I waited a second for him to wake up.  
"When I snap my fingers you will wake up" I mumbled, snapping my fingers.

A second later his eyes sprung up.  
I laughed to myself. It actually worked. . .sorta.

"Not cool" he told me.  
I laughed, "You better be nicer to me. Or I might just use my magical powers to put you into a deep, deep sleep"

He snorted, "Yea, okay"  
"Do you know a song. . .it goes something like _'Na la desona sarmon.' _Ever heard of it" I asked abrutly.

"Yea . . . it means _'They told me you were coming'_. . . .thats the song my mother used to sing to me. . .how do you know about that?" he asked.  
I thought so. . .but that baby couldn't of been Austin. . . the baby's eyes were obviously blue.

"Ugh, ummm. . .your mother was singing it to herself before . . ." I lied "I was just wondering if you knew it"  
"Well, I do" he told me flatly.

"Oh. . .so ummm what's up?" I asked, trying to change the subject.  
I didn't wanna bring up my weird vision.

I was probably just crazy. . .  
Or it could be the Blood Bind. . .there was no reason to make a big deal out of nothing.

Domingo walked in then, Kate followed at his heels.  
He spoke to Austin, "How are you feeling?"

"Horrible" he spat.  
"What hurts?" Domingo asked.

"My head" Austin muttered, feeling his temple ". . .And my throat"  
Domingo got up and went over to Austin. Kate sighed dramatically.

"You know what you probably need. . ." Domingo mused "Fresh blood"  
Haha! Yes! Now, I can get my fix.

"No" Austin said stubbornly.  
"You need fresh blood" Domingo reasoned "If you want to get better, that is"

"Nope" Austin said "I rather be sick forever"  
"There's no use argueing with us" I added "It's two against one"

"Make it three" Kate piped in "The sooner he gets better the sooner I get Domingo's full attention back"  
I rolled my eyes at her. It was a selfish reason to want someone to get better. . .but, hell, whatever put her on my side.

"Yea, and we could easily get the whole household against you" I threatened.  
"Ugh!" Austin groaned "Fine! Let's just get this over with! Besides, its a hell lot better then that blood laced with a ton of crap"

I smiled. I win!  
I always win when it comes to feeding. . .I think it's because, secretly, he likes it too.

"Great" Domingo said.  
"One condition" Austin told us "You, Kate; Go. Don't need an audience"

"Fine" Domingo said, heading for the door. Gesturing for Kate to follow.  
Kate muttered "I'm glad he wanted us to leave. I really don't need to see this. . ."

It was true. She didn't need to see this.  
Besides, I definetly didn't want them to. It was a private thing. . .it would feel weird with people watching.

Austin sighed, "Here we go again"  
I walked over to him, "Yep" I said smugly.

He moved into a sitting position, throwing the blanket onto the floor.  
He had on the plaid pajama pants from the Friday, except this time he had a white t-shirt on.

He sat in a more normal position for a couch.  
He gestured for me to sit next to him.

I did, assuming he wasn't up for standing.  
I snuggled closer to him, grinning to myself.

He brushed the hair away from my neck, revealing the bite mark.  
It was starting to heal a little, well that, was about to be ruined.

The position we were in was awkward for drinking.  
He had to crane his neck all the way to the right.

Too much of a strain.  
I should make this easier. . .I mean, it's the least I could do.

Feeling bold, I moved so I was sitting on his lap.  
I did so gingerly, because if I ended up hurting him . . . well, that would be bad.

He rolled his eyes at me.  
I shrugged, "Just trying to make things easier"

"Mhm, right" he muttered.  
"Well, get with the drinking" I commanded "Don't have all the day"

"Your turning into such a Venom Junkie" he mumbled.  
"A what??" I asked.

"A Venom Junkie" he explained "It's someone who's addicted to vampire bites"  
"Well, maybe I am" I said "But, call me whatever you want. Just get with the drinking"

He rolled his eyes, and leaned into my neck.  
Easily, since my new position put the bite mark right next to him.

His lips touched the bite mark, and I felt a shiver go down my spine.  
I hadn't had a bite since Thursday, I was excited.

I could feel his fangs as they extended against my skin.  
They were resting right on my skin.

Just a little bit of pressure. . .and then I'd be drowning in ecstasy.

His fangs peirced the skin.  
I didn't even feel that split second of pain this time.

I went straight to ecstasy.  
As he drank I could feel the venom leaking into my bloodstream.

Just a little venom gave me a nice buzz.  
Too much would make me a vampire. . .but luckily Austin was very careful about that.

As he drained the blood I felt my head lighten.  
I felt like I was floating . . .

Heat sprung from the bite, flowing through my veins.  
It traveled down my neck into my chest, into my stomach, to my legs.

Once it reached my toes I felt an overwhelming heat.  
It was kind of uncomfortable for a second, and then it was replaced by a cool feeling.

An icy sensation traveled up from my toes, to my legs, stomach, chest, neck, and then filled my head.  
I felt a chill go down my spine.

And then the warmth came back. Heading down to my toes.  
Then when it reached my toes it switched to ice.

Back, and fourth.  
It was like a tennis match inside of me. Hot, cold, hot cold.

But it felt sooooo good.

Then there was that floating feeling, that I was separated from my body.  
Like nothing could hurt me.

When Austin pulled away, I felt myself sigh.  
No, not yet. . .

I opened my eyes.

I was looking into Austin's silver eyes.  
They were wide and hungry.

I was sitting on his lap, facing him.  
His arms were wrapped around my waist.

I wrapped my arms around his neck.  
And as I was starring into his ravenous silver eyes, he began kissing me.

Much like our first kiss.  
It was unexpected, rough, passionate.

Very unexpected.

I mean, ten seconds ago he could barely sit up.  
But now, he was making out with me with such energetic passion that it made my head spin.

Must be that Polar Shift thing.  
He was tired, achey, reluctant. Now he was hyper, excited, and eager. Yea, definitely opposites. . .

As the kiss continued, he began to nibble on my bottom lip.  
I moaned in pleasure. Because, honestly, Austin was a damn good kisser.

My tongue traced the outline of his soft lips, they tasted like blood. But not in a bad way. . .  
My tongued poked through his lips, and then my tongue touched his canine tooth.

His fangs were still extended, and the tooth pricked my tongue.  
I could taste the venom that coated his fangs.

It was warm, and thick. It ozzed over my tongue.  
It tasted like blueberries (blueberries!) mixed with rich chocolate. It was delictable.

Tasting venom, it was even better then having it injected into my veins.  
It rushed over my tongue, numbing it. Like Novocaine at the dentists, only much tastier.

I moaned in pleasure, "Oh my God . . . the venom. . .it tastes so good. . ."  
His only response was a starved hungry growl.

Savoring the taste of the venom, my lips trailed down to his jaw.  
I kissed his jaw hungrly, and he moaned contently.

When I had covered every square inch of his jaw with kisses, I moved onto his warm neck.  
When I reached a spot just under his jaw, I began to kiss it passionately.

I sucked on the soft warm skin just beneath his jaw for a while.  
I let my tongue flick out to brush against the warm flesh.

I pulled away, noting with satisfaction that a hickey was beginning to form there.  
Another one to add to his collection.

I felt extremly smug.  
Aurora wouldn't be able to kiss him ever again. But I could kiss him forever.

My lips moved up from his neck, towards his jawline.  
My lips ran along his jaw, towards his ear. I nibbled on his ear.

He moaned, and I could feel his muscles relax.  
Ok, so I now I know that Austin likes it if I nibble on his ear . . . store that knowledge for future use.

As my lips moved back to his lips, Austin became even more excited.  
He began to nibble on my lower lip, using his fangs this time.

When his pointed canine teeth broke the flesh on my lip, I went completely light-headed.  
The venom was coating my lips, seeping into the cut on my lower lip.

I pretty much forgot that we were in the Kardigan's living room.  
And that about 8 other people were staying here, and could walk in at any time.

Yea, I just let all of that slip my mind.

Even the fact that 2 of those 8 people were Austin's parents.  
And honestly, if they walked in I think I would die.

But, I didn't really think about any of that.  
It crossed my mind for like two seconds, and then it was gone.

Austin grabbed my waist and pushed me off his lap.  
So, I now lay on my back on the couch.

Austin moved so he was hovering above me.  
I breathed heavily, and I felt like my heart was gonna leap out of my chest.

We started kissing again, making out intensly.  
Emphasis on the 'intense' part.

As our lips collided, my hands gripped Austin's hair.  
I had a feeling if he were human that would be seriously painful.

Well, apparently it was more intense then I noticed.  
Because then we somehow rolled off the couch. . .

Now, we were on the floor. Austin was laying on his back under me.  
Oh, how the tables have turned. . . again.

Being on the floor, barely fazed us.  
We continued kissing as if nothing had occured.

"See?" a voice said, snapping me out of my loving illusion "I knew this would happen"  
I turned my head around to see Domingo and Kate standing above us.

Kate looked disapproving, but not surprised.  
Domingo's expression was business like. . .but I could see that he felt like rolling his eyes at us.

I could just sense it. With my magical powers. . .  
That I actually have. . .hmmmm. . . interesting.

I quickly scrambled to my feet, and Austin followed.  
I nervously smoothed my hair.

Kate glared at me.  
It was a look that perfectly told me _'My brother! My brother goddamnit!' _

I understood perfectly. . .if I walked in on her making out with Jake (In his dreams) I would probably scream.  
Then again, it's more likely that a falcon would die during flight and come crashing through that window . . .

"How long have you guys been standing there?" I asked, feeling embarrassed.  
"Sense you were on his lap saying that his venom tastes good" Kate said flatly.

I felt my cheeks get warmer, "And you didn't say anything because. . ." I prompted.  
"We did" Kate said, rolling her eyes "But neither of you seemed to notice"

Well. . .this is extremely awkward.  
Yea, I think I'm gonna go curl up in a ball and die. Then again, it could of been worse. Mr. or Mrs. Kardigan could of walked in. _Or _Jupiter and Mars. . .thats much worse.

Domingo pretended not to have seen all of that.  
Or acknowledge that it even happened.

"How do you feel now, Austin" Domingo asked abrubtly.  
"Better" then he winked at me "Much better"

Kate shuddered.  
Oh, so _now _she's a prude. She couldn't of been that way, when I walked in on her and Shawn feeling each other up in 9th grade?

And, no, I still haven't gotten over that.  
Because, some things, can never be _un_seen.

"We should of thought of this sooner" Domingo muttered "Of course, Becca's blood would heal Austin. There Blood Bound. And, everyone knows, that one of the perks of a Blood Bind is that their blood has healing qualities for one another. . ."

How do you forget something like that???  
I thought he was like a doctor. . .wow.

"So, I'm all better?" Austin asked.  
"Not quite" Domingo said "It will probably take one more feeding, tomorrow. And, you should probably miss school tomorrow. . .just to be safe"

"Coool" Austin said.  
His hand was resting on the small of my back.

Okay, so this Polar Mood Shift had had some. . .different results.  
Probably because his mood was a little different. . .

I wasn't sure if this was good or bad.  
Well, I guess I'll find out.

"Okay" Austin hinted "You two can leave now"  
"Alright. . ." Domingo said.

He left, with Kate following suit.  
She threw me a look over her shoulder. I wasn't sure what it meant though. . .

Austin turned to me, "So, where were we?" he purred.  
He smiled, revealing his still extended fangs. I smiled in return.

He layed back down on the couch, and I eagerly lay across him.  
I leaned into kiss him. . .when my ringtone went off. "Hear me Now" by Framing Hanley.

Well, thats a mood killer.

I reached into my pocket for my phone.  
Austin pouted, seeming annoyed.

I held up one finger, indicating for him to wait one minute.  
Then, I flipped open my phone. One new text message from Kate. Damn her.

_Domingo said 2 knock out Austin with your witchy sleeping powers. Just until the Polar Shift side-effects wear off, u no? It'll b easier 4 every1 if u do_

Hmmmm, do I want to?  
I can either make out with my hot boyfriend. . .or make him sleep. . .

Hmmmm, decisions, decisions.  
As, I thought this over my cell phone went off again.

Kate again.  
Shocker, shocker.

_C'mon plz? _

Ugh, fine!  
It's 3:00 in the afternoon. . .and I sadly, have homework to do. . .

I texted back:  
_Fine! _

Then I shoved the phone back into my pocket.  
I turned back to Austin, and gave him my sexiest smile I could.

He smiled back at me.  
And, I had a feeling his was a lot sexier then mine had been.

I leaned in, making it look like I was gonna kiss him again.  
Then, right as our lips were about to meet, I conjured sleep.

The faint haze ghosted around us.  
It wrapped around Austin, caressing his face.

His eyelids fluttered.  
Seeming confused, he fought against it.

I leaned my face in, so my eyes were staring into his.  
Our lips mere centimeters apart.

"Sleepy, Austin?" I cooed.  
"What?" he yawned ". . . No. . ."

"Are you sure?" I purred "Because you seem awfully tired to me"  
"No" he said sleepily "I'm. . .fine. . .I'm not tired. . ."

"Maybe I should sing you a lullaby" I purred, teasing him "I don't know the one your Mama used to sing to you. . .but I do know another"  
"No. . .seriously, Becca" he managed around some yawns "I'm not. . .I'm not tired. . .not at . . .all"

_"Rock-a-bye baby in the treetops" _I sang softly, teasingly _"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And down will come baby, cradle and all"  
_"Becca. . . ." he murmured sleepily, and then his eyelids closed.

And he was asleep.

Well, that was easy.  
I sighed, and got up.

I picked up the blanket from the floor, and tossed it over Austin.  
Nighty, night Austin.

I headed into the kitchen, were Kate, Domingo, Mr. Kardigan, Mrs. Kardigan, Jupiter _and _Mars were conversed.  
God, this place is a mansion, and everyone has to be in one room.

"He's asleep" I announced.  
"Good" Kate muttered "I swear, at this rate, you'll be pregnant in a month. . ."

I stared at her.  
Now, who does that remind me of. . .

"Have you been hanging out with Ken recently?" I asked.  
"No, why?" she wondered.

"Because, he told me the exact same thing. . ." I mused "Except he said a week"  
She laughed, "I can't believe I'm agreeing with Mute"

Mute was our nickname for Ken. Because, honestly, it's like someone hit his mute button and never turned it off.  
Our nickname for Jake is either Jerk-aholoic or just Bastard.

"Yea. . .well, I gotta go" I said sadly "I have calculus homework and then I have to finish that _stupid _English assignment"  
"Well, okay" Kate said "Text me?"

"Sure, talk to you later" I said "Bye guys"  
They all called there goodbyes as I closed the door.

The rest of the day passed without event, really.

Walked home, did my homework, texted Kate, watched tv, actually had dinner with my family, took a shower, went to bed.  
What fun.

But, as I lay in my bed trying to sleep, sleep never came.  
I kept worrying about what school would be like without Austin to protect me.

And evertime I closed my eyes, I saw those blue eyes staring at me.

* * *

**Ok, that took 4EVER 4 me 2 write. I re-wrote it like 6 times. But, after the 6th re-write, I decided this was as good as it was gonna get. Ik it's confusing, but it will get better. Just bare with me. This story is almost over, but don't worry! Theres gonna be a sequel. I'm thinking of naming it "Blood Bound" . . . hmmm, might change it.  
Would u believe that I actually had to look up the lyrics to "Rock-a-bye baby?" Well, I did. I couldn't remember. lol. Did u no theres a whole song 2 it? Like three other verses? Weird, ik. Another weird thing. Everytime I typed the word "Yawn" I wud yawn. . .it was strange. . .like just now I yawned.  
Anyway, thanks 4 the reviews! Keep 'em coming! U no I love me some reviews! :)**


	32. Richman

**_"Day Trip" _**

I didn't sleep well.  
I was plagued by a variety of strange dreams. Although, I'd excepted that the Blood Bind affected me like that.

I couldn't remember much of the dreams though.  
Just bits and pieces, flashes.

A ballroom. A master bedroom. A tropical island.  
A conference room. A photo shoot. And a pair of wide blue eyes.

Absolutely no pattern.

When I opened my eyes I looked at my alarm clock.  
It read 7:58.

Son of a bitch!

I'm gonna be _so _late!  
And, of course, nobody came upstairs to wake me up.

Typical.  
They all had their own agendas. Which, sadly, I totally understood. I couldn't be bothered with them either.

I scrambled out of bed, and went over to my windowsill. Where my phone was charging.  
It was, of course, the first thing I did everyday. Get my phone.

I grabbed my phone, and glanced at the screen.  
I had a new text message from Austin.

Shit, I hope he didn't figure out I used a sleep spell on him yesterday.  
Cautiously, I opened the message. It read:

_Hey, wanna ditch w/ me 2day? _

Tempting, tempting. . .  
But, _I'm _expected to go to school today. I texted my reply:

_U no I can't _

I put the phone down while I dug through my closet.  
I heard my ringtone go off a second later. I went back to read Austin's message:

_Y not? U won't get caught. C'mon plz? I wanna take u somewhere_

Hmmmmm, should I?  
I mean, what have I got to lose? Getting in trouble with mom and dad? They were pretty laid back parents. They wouldn't punish me very severely. If they even found out.

They wouldn't be home all day.  
If the school called they would just leave a message, I could delete it if I got home first. And then bring in a fake sick note tomorrow.

Worth a shot.  
And then again, I would've been late anyway. I texted my reply:

_Well, ok. . ._

At least now I wouldn't have to rush.  
I took my time going back to my closet. I picked out a pair of jeans I was gonna wear. Then my ringtone sung again.

I skipped back to my dresser, where I had left my phone.  
I looked at Austin's message:

_Awesome! Wear something nice_

Huh?  
I texted my reply:

_y?_

He responded like two seconds later.  
Not surprising. . .I could text fast. . .but Austin and Kate were like speed demons when it came to texting.

I read his message.  
Not surprised by the lack of a real answer. It read:

_Just do it . . . plz tell me u own a dress _

I made a face.  
Did he really think I was tom-boyish enough to not own a single dress?

_I have dresses_

It was hard to pack enough ice into a text message.  
But I think he understood the icy-ness the message contained.

I made a move for my closet when my phone went off again.  
His message read:

_Good . . . don't wear something 2 fancy. Were not going 2 a cocktail party. . . _

Like I own a cocktail dress.  
Yea, right.

I didn't have a clue where we were going. . .  
But, I was happy just to ditch the gossip that was sure to break lose about us at school today. I texted back as I thought about that:

_kk. . .like a day dress? _

I didn't bother trying to get to my closet.  
Because, ten second later he replied:

_Yea, that'd b perfect. . .u just gotta look presentable. Or else u'd stand out. trust me, this is gonna b fun_

Well, anything was more fun then the Calculus test I was missing.  
I mean, the sick bastard scheduled the test for a Monday! Nobody studies over the weekends! Duh. . .

_I believe u. . .now I g2g get ready. . ._

Wait for it. . .  
Ten seconds later, "Hear me Now" blasted.

_kk . . . i'll b out front in a half an hour. c u then_

I didn't respond, it was unnecessary.  
I placed my phone back on the dresser and dove into my closet.

I took out the 4 dresses I owned.  
All of which I had never worn, my mother insisted I buy them. Because you never know when you might need a nice dress.

Who would of thought she was right?

I placed them on my bed.  
I examined each with scrutiny

The first was long, black, and puffy.  
It looked like a goth wedding dress.

Nope, next.

The next was a short leather strapless one.  
Ok, that one I had bought as a joke. Maybe to be worn at a costume party if I wanted to go as a hooker?

Next.

The third one was a flowery pink one. Pink! With flowers!  
No way in hell. Not as long as I'm breathing. They'd have to put it on my cold dead unliving body. Why did I even buy this??

Next!

The last one.  
This better be good. . .

It was a strapless dress. It was light like a sundress, and pretty short too. Halfway to my knees.  
It was designed with intricate black designs. With a black belt around the waist. **(Pic on Jazper1843Hale's profile)**

Hmmmm, nice.

It's girly. . .and it was a little dark.  
Just like me, even if it is a dress.

I took off my pajamas and slipped on the black dress.  
It felt a lot more comfortable then most of my clothes. Not as heavy. Must be made of some light fabric.

I went over the mirror to do my makeup.  
I purposely went a little heavy on the eyeliner. . .I looked kinda like a raccoon. . .just a little. And besides, it looked cool.

I wanted to look a little nice for wherever it was Austin was taking me.  
It was obviously semi-formal . . .

So, I even put on some lipstick.  
The rich scarlet of blood. . .hey, I am dating a vampire. . . Of course I compare things to blood.

My hair looked fine.  
It hung down in it's dark curly ringlets, it's normal style.

I dug in my closet for shoes.  
I found a pair of black heels. . .now where did these come from?

Hmmmm, whatever.  
I put them on my feet.

I reached for the money on my dresser, but then stopped.  
Austin would bring money and probably a bunch of gold cards. . .

And besides where would I put it?  
No pockets. . .and I'm sure as hell not bringing a purse.

But what to do about my cellphone. . . it was like my life!  
Oh, well. . .Austin would have his phone. Besides, he was a vampire. What could possibly happen?

Well, we could be kidnapped again. . .  
But the Arthasians wouldn't look for us in the human world. . .well, if were staying in the human world. I honestly don't know.

Satisfied, I slipped out of my room.  
I tried to be quiet, but the ridiculous heels made it difficult.

I didn't think anyone was home.  
Mom left around seven, and Dad even earlier. And as long as the twins weren't running late. . . I'd be good.

If anyone saw me in this dress, without my bag. . .  
They would know I was ditching.

I crept down the stairs, the only noise came from the clicking of my heels.  
I didn't hear anything in the kitchen.

I walked in.  
Yes! Empty.

Feeling more confident that everyone was gone I headed into the living room.  
And almost had a heart-attack when Stanley barked at me.

"Oh my God" I panted "Stanley you scared me! I thought you were Daddy, or Mom!"  
He barked happily at me, wagging his tail.

I pet his head lovingly.  
"Good boy. . .I gotta go now" I told him "Me and Austin are ditching school. . .don't tell anyone. Okay?"

He barked happily at me, and I took it as a yes.  
"Good boy" I said, kissing him on top of his head "I'll see you later"

Yes, I'm highly aware that I was having a conversation with a dog.  
But, he's my dog, I love him. And besides, you can tell a dog anything. They can't judge you and they can't tell anyone.

I slipped out the door, closing it firmly behind me.  
As I stepped onto the porch I saw the Maserati parked in the driveway.

I rushed up to it, heels clicking the entire way.  
I felt like someone was gonna see me and bust me. Which was stupid, why would anyone think we were up to something?

I got in the passenger seat, closing the door behind me.  
Austin was sitting in the front seat.

He had on dark jeans, a white button down shirt, and aviators. He had on brown leather driving gloves, covering the wound.  
He looked ridiculously hot. It was like one of those male models. . .only he was naturally hot.

"Morning my little rebel" he said, smirking at me.  
"Look who's talking" I retorted "Aren't you supposed to be sick? I don't believe your parents _or _Domingo said it was alright for you to do this"

He started driving, "No, they didn't. I told them I was going to take a nap. Went into my room, locked the door, and snuck out the window"  
I laughed, "Clever" I noted "So, where are we going?"

"That would ruin the surprise, silly" he told me.  
"Oh, well then" I huffed "So, is my attire appropriate for the occasion?"

He looked me over, and smirked.  
"Perfect. . ." he told me "Subtle. . ."

"Why thank you" I said in a mock-snooty voice.  
I had a feeling he was rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.

"I hope you brought money" I said randomly "'Cause I didn't"  
"I got something better then money" he said, taking several credit cards out of his pocket ". . .Plastic"

I laughed, "Well, thats sure a lot of plastic" I noted.  
He smirked, "Were gonna need it" he told me.

"I'm scared. . ." I told him.  
He threw an arm lazily over my shoulder.

"Don't worry, baby" he said teasingly "I'll protect you"  
I rolled my eyes.

It was a decent ride, not too long.  
But it wasn't short either.

We listened to music the whole way, and talked about what we'd be doing if we were in school  
It didn't take me long to realize where we were going. Once we were close it was obvious.

"Were going to New York city!" I exclaimed.  
"Yep" he said, happily "We can do whatever we want. Money gets you far, honey. Maybe we could have brunch at The Plaza. . . They have a restaurant downstairs. . .I could probably get us in. I could take you to Tiffany's. . .or maybe Barney's. Or we could just go on a shopping spree? Would you like that?"

This should be _fun._  
Spending a day in New York City with my rich boyfriend. . .cool.

"Hell yes" I acknowledged.  
He grinned, "I thought you'd like that"

As we reached the city, skyscrapers began to fill the sky.  
Shadowing sunlight.

As we drove down the street, people stared at the car.  
We moved impossibly slow, damn traffic.

As I looked out the window, I could see people gawking at the car.  
Mostly the tourists (they were easy to spot) were staring at it. Because well they stared at everything. . .and took pictures.

Austin seemed annoyed with the stop light. You know, letting pedestrians cross the street safely. . .not his style.  
He revved the engine impatiently. More people looked up with.

I raised an eyebrow at him.  
He shrugged, "Its a lot cooler then honking the horn"

I couldn't argue with that.  
It was.

As we were waiting for the damn pedestrians to cross, the song "Richman" came on, by 3OH3 **(AN: listen 2 it 4 affect)  
**I knew Austin liked this song, so it didn't surprise me when he cranked the song. Full blast.

He rolled down the windows.  
Music blasting, people automatically looked up.

I gave him a look, "Do you have to draw more attention to us?"  
"C'mon!" he said "Live a little! This is gonna be great. . .Trust me"

I rolled my eyes, "Fine" I huffed.  
Finally, the light turned green.

Austin sped forward. I laughed.  
Okay, maybe I was being a stick in the mud about this. I mean, I was the fun one! I was always up for a good time. And this, had definite possibilities.

On the next block, Austin turned into a parking complex.  
One of those little garages were you can park your car while your visiting the city.

The guys who worked there looked shocked.  
Both of there eyebrows' shot up.

They moved out of the way as Austin drove in.  
He stopped in the middle, and got out of the car.

He approached the first guy.  
The guy looked a little intimidated. . .it could be because everything about Austin today screamed serious money. Or it could be that Austin was a vampire. . .or both.

"How much to keep the car here?" Austin asked the guy casually.  
"Ugh, when will you be back?" the guy asked.

"When I get back. It could be midnight, it could be 2 o'clock in the morning. Does it matter?" Austin said, seeming impatient.  
"Ugh, no sir" he said immediately, and then rambled off a dollar amount.

"Okay, fine" he said handing the man some money, apparently he did bring cash too. . .  
Then he looked the man dead in the eye, he took his aviators off for a second.

"Now, if I get back here and my car is gone" he threatened "Someone's gonna end up in jail. . . and it's gonna be me. 'Cause I'm gonna have murdered you"  
The guy's eyes were wide in alarm.

"Understand?" Austin asked, flashing a terrifying smile.  
You could see a little point to his canine teeth. . .

"Yes-yes sir" the guy stuttered.  
Austin smiled, a little less frighteningly. Then he put his aviators back on. He plopped the keys to the Maserati in the guys hand.

Then he called to me, "C'mon babe! Were leaving"  
I giggled, and got out of the car. Feeling girly as I pranced towards Austin in the dress and heels.

He put his arm around my shoulder.  
"Take good care of the car" he told the guy as we turned to leave.

We walked onto the streets of New York city.  
People ran around, people were selling crafts, others were playing music, limos were going down the street, the smell of pretzels was heavy in the air.

Oh, how I love the city.

As we walked down the street, I did feel pretty good walking around in this pretty dress with my hot boyfriend.  
Especially when a group of girls would pass us and start whispering.

Ha, how they wish they were me. . .  
Yea, thats spiteful . . . but who cares?

"Where you wanna go first?" he asked.  
"Hmmm, I don't know" I said honestly "Theres so much to do!"

"Wanna do some shopping at Barney's?" he wondered.  
"Isn't there stuff thousands of dollars?" I asked.

"Of course" he said grinning.  
"Well, then let's go" I said, laughing "As long as your paying that is"

"Of course" he said laughing.  
I laughed with him, attracting some attention on the busy streets.

We passed a donation box with a woman asking people for money.  
Something about helping the homeless. . .or the hungry. . .or the homeless _and _hungry. Maybe that was it. . .

Austin paused, and slipped a 100$ bill into the box.  
The old women's eyes widened, "Thank you young man. . .thank you very much"

"No problem" he said, flashing a smile.  
Then he started walking again.

I swatted him playfully, "Your such a show off"  
"What?" he asked innocently "I'm just helping the homeless"

I rolled my eyes, "Sure you are. . .were did you get all this money from?"  
"My family's loaded, Becca" he said, lowering his glasses so I could see him roll his eyes "I thought we've been over this. . ."

I swatted him again, "I know _that. _I meant, how do you just walk out of the house with all this money"  
"Well, the credit cards I brought are mine. . .and I get an allowance" he explained.

"How much allowance?" I asked.  
"Like 1000$ a week. . ." he said, shrugging.

"That's crazy!" I exclaimed.  
"I know" he said grinning "And I love it so much"

We approached Barney's then.  
People walked by, looking in the windows. And a few people went in.

We walked in, and were greeted by some workers.  
I had never been in here before, and I was in awe.

I had never seen so many articles of clothing!  
There were floors of bags, dresses, tops, shoes, jackets, even throw pillows! Throw pillows!

Snooty looking women were browsing through the stock.  
Some even had other people looking for them!

"Get anything you want" Austin told me lazily.  
I looked at the extravagant items. I wasn't really into all this stuff. . . but the prospect of getting _anything _I want. . . very tempting.

"Anything?" I asked in shock "Like . . .anything?"  
"Anything" he clarified.

"Like, whats the limit of how much I can spend?" I asked, because clearly there was some limit. Whenever I went shopping there was _some _limit.  
Austin leaned his face in close to mine, placing a finger under my chin, tilting it up to look at him.

"Honey" he said, holding up a credit card "I _dare _you to try and max out this card"  
I smiled, "Really?"

"Really" he said, his breath washed over me. It smelled like his venom. . . "It can't be done. . ."  
"We'll see" I teased.

"And if by some miracle you managed to max out this card" he said, smirking "I have about a dozen others with me. So go crazy. C'mon this is every woman's dream"  
Couldn't argue with that. Even I, an emo-ish tom boy, dreamed of cleaning out an entire store.

"Well, alright" I said hesitantly.  
Then I pretty much went at it.

I just went around looking at stuff at first.  
Gawking at the insane prices. A 2,000$ jacket! Seriously?

A women approached me then, she obviously worked there.  
She was well dressed in a black skirt, white blouse, and black heels. She had long flat-ironed platinum hair. She had a mild tan and blue eyes that screamed 'customer service!'

"Miss Callaway?" she asked in a pleasant voice.  
How the hell did she know my name?

"Yes?" I asked, looking up from a pair of $865 bronze heels.  
"The blonde gentleman over there advised me that you might need some help with your purchases?" she made it into a question.

I looked at where she was gesturing. Austin was leaning against the wall near the door. He was talking on his phone. I couldn't hear what he was saying but I could tell by his body language that he was arguing with whoever it was. . .When he saw me looking at him he flashed a bright smile.

"Ummm, yea sure" I said.  
"So, what are you looking for?" she wondered.

I shrugged, "Anything. . .jackets, jeans, shoes, bags, jewelry . . . Whatever looks good. Don't worry, money isn't an object"  
"Oh" she seemed a little surprised by my extravagance "Well, what would you like to look at first, Miss Calaway?"

"Hmmm" I mused "Let's take a look at shoes. . ."

*****

After several hours of having Leah (my assistant shopper) find me clothes, I decided to pay. . .well, have Austin pay.  
I had quite a haul.

Bug-eyed sunglasses, a $1000 hair bauble (no joke!), a beautiful ruffled dress, a bat necklace (hehe!), a $2,000 tangled collar, a $3,000 pearl necklace, an expensive but really cool motorcycle jacket, a silver jacket, ripped skinny jeans, platform pumps, some pretty tops, some eyeliner and mascara, and tons of other stuff. **(AN: pics on Jazper1843Hale profile)**

I couldn't name it all if I tried.  
I was having so much fun it was amazing. I felt giddy and light-hearted. Totally relaxed.

I skipped over to Austin, Leah trailing behind me with as many of the purchases as she could carry.  
Behind her was a few other workers, holding the rest of my purchases.

Austin smirked when he saw us, "That's all?" he teased.  
I moved over to him, and clung to his side. He slung an arm over my shoulders.

"For this store" I said.  
He laughed, "Ready?"

"Yep" I trilled.  
He motioned for the staff to follow us to the desk.

We only waited in line for a second, and then we were up.  
The woman was ringing up all the items, putting them in bags and boxes frantically.

When she was done, she looked at the total.  
"That will be. . .$25,345.45" she told us, looking surprised.

"Hmmm" Austin said, pulling out his gold card "Not as bad as I expected"  
I stiffled a giggle.

The woman scanned the card, and Austin signed off for it.  
We had about 10 bags, large bags.

"There is no way we can carry all of this around the city" I noted.  
"Nope. . .I'll call a taxi to take us back to the car garage. . .we can leave the stuff in the back. . .and then I'll take the keys back. . .so nobody can steal anything" he said, smiling.

"Good idea" I acknowledged.  
"Yep" he said, taking out his phone "And, I got us into the Plaza. After we drop this stuff off, we can go there. . .have brunch and then we can go to Tiffany's"

I hugged him tightly around his waist, which was easy since I was already clinging to his side.  
"Did I mention that your the best boyfriend ever?" I asked.

"It wouldn't hurt to say it again" he said, smirking.  
Then he took out his phone and started making arrangements for a taxi.

"Okay, they should be here in a sec" he said, putting the phone away.  
"Cool" I chirped.

Austin turned to Leah and the other workers, "Ladies? Would you mind helping us carry these purchases to the car?"  
Leah nodded quickly, "Of course. . .it's no trouble at all"

Austin flashed a smile, "Excellent"  
It's amazing how well people coporate when you had good-looks and money. . .

The staff picked up the bags and followed me and Austin out.  
Outside, people walking by looked surprised by the entourage of staff with shopping bags.

Austin headed for a taxi that was parked near the front.  
The staff followed suit.

We somehow managed to fit all the bags into the taxi.  
Using the trunk and available space in the back, and front seats.

I got in the taxi, but Austin stayed paused for a second outside the door.  
He was talking to Leah and the other staff.

"Thank you, Ladies" Austin said, putting his sunglasses on his head.  
He shuffled out a few hundred dollars to each as tips. They looked pleased.

He winked at them, and then got in the taxi.  
He put his sunglasses back into place, and I rolled my eyes at him.

He gave directions to the driver.  
And we quickly arrived at the garage.

The driver parked the taxi outside, and Austin got out.  
He went up to the garage and began talking with the man from before.

He showed him a slip of paper, and hissed some things at him.  
But in the end, Austin got his way. As usual. . .

The driver and the garage workers helped us transfer the bags to the Maserati.  
Then once my stuff was safely in the back of the Maserati, Austin locked the car and put the keys in his pocket.

He nodded to the man as we left.  
We got back in the taxi, and the driver took us to The Plaza.

Once we arrived, Austin payed the driver and we headed inside.  
The Plaza was beautiful.

Marble floors, chandeliers, plants, pristine workers, ritzy looking people.  
I looked around in awe.

Austin made his way to the front desk, and I clung to his side.  
"Hello" he said pleasantly to the man working there "I'm Austin Kardigan . . . I spoke to you on the phone"

That registered something in the man's head.  
"Oh" he stuttered "Yes-yes of course. Ummm, yes. Right this way. . . .Georgia!"

He called to a tan brunnette woman standing by the mini restaurant entrance.  
The restaurant was open. So, all the tourists taking picture of the lobby could see wealthy people drinking wine and eating fancy meals.

Georgia tripped over to us, she smiled brightly at us.  
"Georgia please seat Mr. Kardigan and his. . .his friend" the man said. He didn't seem to know who I was to Austin, so he settled for freind.

"Yes" Georgia said, her almond shaped eyes raking over Austin.  
Bitch better watch it. . .

She led us to a nicely decorate table near the edge of the mini restaurant.  
Right near the tourist people walking around. . .how lovely.

Luckily, we exchanged 'Georgia' for a waitress.  
A bright eyed blonde women, who seemed excited just to be taking orders. . .

"So, what can I get you?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.  
"Ummm, I'll have coffee" I told her "Regular, two sugars"

She nodded and turned to Austin.  
"And you sir?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm good" he declined "Not thirsty"  
"Oh, well" she said, not fazzed by his non-existent appetite "I'll be right back with that coffee"

Once she was gone Austin turned to me, "Nice?" he asked.  
"Very nice" I said glancing around "What did you say to that man on the phone?" I asked "He was terrified of you"

He laughed, "I just negotiated with him"  
I laughed back, "Is that who you were talking to on the phone at Barneys?"

"Yep" he said, just as my coffee arrived.  
"Now, what would you like to eat?" she chirped.

I ordered some kind of eggs, I wasn't sure as exactly what it was.  
But it sounded good enough. Austin declined food again.

****

The eggs turned out to be pretty good.  
They had some other 'special' stuff in it, of course. But it wasn't too crazy.

Austin payed the bill, and we were on our way again.  
As we were down the streets we passed FAO Schwartz. . .that tremendous toy store.

And I looked at all the kids waiting on line to get in.  
A line! To get in a toy store. . .but, hey, that's New York for you.

Surprisingly, as we walked, Austin was perfectly fine with us holding hands.  
He usually didn't do lovey-dovey things like that in public. But then again, we don't know these people.

"So" I asked, swinging our arms between us "Tiffany's?"  
"If that's where you wanna go" he said indifferently.

"Then Tiffany's is it" I proclaimed.  
He smirked, "Tiffany's it is"

We walked into Tiffany's, and were immediately greeted by staff.  
Which was understandable. With our fancy clothes and hands swinging between us, we probably looked like people who were willing to spend a fortune in there.

"Hello" a red-headed women chirped as we entered "I'm Tracy. Is there anything I can do for you today?"  
"No" Austin said politely "Not now, anyway. We'll call you over if we need anything"

She nodded, smiled, and went on her merry way.  
And I began my next mission. . .

I looked at everything. Watches, necklaces, bands, keys, brooches, even sunglasses.  
Everything was nice, really nice. But, I felt like I was looking for something else. . .

Austin followed at my heels the entire time, commenting positively on anything I showed an interest in.  
He seemed to be having a surprisingly good time with all of this. If I had to guess, I would say he just likes to spend money, especially on me.

I drifted towards the rings, and found what I was looking for.  
I wanted a ring, a diamond ring. . .Wow, one day being treated like royalty and I was already acting like a spoiled brat.

But, hell, you only live once.

"Oh" I trilled "I know what I want Austin!"  
"Really?" he asked, seeming surprised "What is it?"

"A ring" I told him, excited "A diamond ring"  
"That narrows it down" he muttered.

"Maybe now that. . .that Tracy girl could be of service. . ." I hinted.  
"Good idea" he congratulated me.

He approached Tracy and talked to her for a second.  
While I gazed at the rings, they approached me.

Another woman followed behind Tracy.  
A tall woman, who looked in her 20's, with straight crow black hair. Almond eyes, tan skin, and an expecting look in her eyes.

"Tell 'em what your looking for sweatheart" Austin told me.  
"Well. . ." I began "I'm not sure where to start"

"I am" Austin said lazily "Tracy? How much trouble would it be for you to find me some champagne?"

****

We had looked at diamonds for at least an hour.  
Austin was lounging in a chair near the case, on his third glass of champagne.

Tracy and Lee Anne (the dark haired woman) had been helping me sort through rings.  
But I couldn't find one that I _really_ liked.

I found one I was particularly fond of.  
It was small, simple. With one round diamond in the center. Tracy and Lee Anne both said it was an excellent choice.

I tried it on my finger, it looked delicate and simple.  
I liked it, but I wanted to see what Austin thought.

"Austin?" I called "What do you think of this one?"  
I showed him my hand, he examined it for a second.

"Don't you think it's kinda small?" he asked.  
Tracy laughed lightly, "Mr. Kardigan, I must say, your one of the few gentlemen who've come in here complaining that the diamond is too _small"_

I assumed it was the snotty rich women who usually did that.  
I could even hear their nasally whiny voices in my head. _"But it's soo small" _

"Well, what do you have in mind?" I challenged.  
He sighed and got up from his chair.

Champagne glass in hand, he strolled over to the glass case.  
He looked in it for approximately 8 seconds.

Then he pointed to one, "How about that one?"  
Tracy took it out and showed it to us.

The ring had a trio of round stones.  
The largest (a diamond) was in the center. Two smaller Sapphire stones flanked it on either side. **(AN: pic on Jazper1843Hale's profile as well)**

I fell in love with it instantly. It was just so _pretty.  
_It was elegant and the diamond was sparkled in the light. The Sapphire's looked like two pristine pools of blue. A deep deep blue.

"Ohhhh!" I gushed "It's so pretty!"  
Austin smirked, "I thought you'd like it"

"It's beautiful Miss Callaway" Tracy told me "It matches your necklace too"  
I looked down at my neck. The little blue flame hung there as usual. I noticed now, that the Sapphire's were the exact same color.

"It does" I exclaimed.  
"Is this your choice?" Lee Anne asked.

"Yes" I gushed "Definitely! I love it. . ."  
Lee Anne nodded and went over to a computer behind the counter.

I tried on the ring, noting with satisfaction that it looked perfect there.  
It was much bigger then the other ring, and much prettier. I moved my hand side to side, watching as the light played off the stone.

Lee Anne returned, "The price for that ring is $25,800"  
Damn!

"Sounds reasonable" Austin said, pulling out his trusty gold card "Put it on the card"  
He handed her the card, and she took it back to the computer.

"So" Tracy said "When's the big day?"  
"Big day?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tracy laughed, "The wedding day of course. You have to have a date in mind"  
I laughed a little. Austin? Get married? I couldn't even _imagine _Austin getting married.

"No, no, no, no" I explained, laughing lightly "Were not getting married"  
"Oh" Tracy said, looking confused "Then what's the ring for?"

"I just felt like getting my girlfriend something nice" Austin said, throwing an arm over my shoulder.  
Tracy looked like a deer in headlights. Understandable. Most people don't buy their girlfriends $20,000 rings on a whim. But, this is New York, people do weird things all the time.

Lee Anne returned. She brought with her boxes and bags, Austin's credit card, and things for Austin to sign.  
Austin put the credit card in his pocket and signed the papers.

Tracy placed the ring inside of a velvet teal Tiffany ring box. Then she placed the box into a little blue bag.  
She handed it to me, and smiled. I smiled back, taking the dainty bag.

"Is that all you want?" Austin checked.  
"Yea, I'm good for now" I told him truthfully.

"Well, alright. Thank you ladies" Austin said, shuffling out two hundred dollar bills for them.  
They smiled in thanks, Austin nodded and we left.

I walked out of Tiffany's smiling.  
In one hand, I held the dainty bag with my ring. And in the other I held Austin's gloved hand.

Arms swinging between us, we walked down the streets of New York.  
I was extremely glad I'd ditched school for this.

"So" Austin wondered "Where do you wanna go now?"  
"I don't know" I said, shrugging "Where do you wanna go?"

"Doesn't matter to me" he said "Wherever you wanna go"  
"But we haven't done anything for you" I mentioned.

"I've been to the city a million times" he told me, "The only thing I wanna do is shower you with gifts"  
I laughed, "Why does that make you so happy?"

"Thats a stupid question" he said "I'm happy because your happy"  
"Aww" I gushed "You just said something romantic. . .you better hope none of your friends were around to hear it"

I knew he was rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.  
"But seriously" Austin said "What do you wanna do? We have hours to kill before it gets dark"

"Why are we killing time before it gets dark?" I wondered.  
"Because, tonight were gonna go clubbing" he said, smirking.

"Clubbing?" I asked, dumbfounded.  
"Yes, clubbing" he explained, I could hear the eye roll in his voice "going to a variety of nightclubs in one night."

"In New York City?" I gasped.  
"No, in Bejing" he said sarcastically.

"Aren't we too young?" I questioned.  
"Were too young to drink too, but we do that all the time" Austin said.

I gave him a questioning look that had him backtracking.  
"Well, I do" he corrected.

"So what clubs are we going too?" I wondered.  
"Whatever ones we want. We definetly have to check out _Elixir. _It's this new club, I hear it's amazing" he told me.

"Okay, so what should we do now?" I wondered.  
"Whatever you want" he told me.

So, we spent the daylight hours doing a variety of activities.  
We went for a walk in Central Park, and then went to the Metropolitan, a fancy dress shop, an exotic boutique and some other things.

Then Austin pulled some serious strings and got us into a Broadway showing of Wicked. (My idea of course)  
Then he pulled some even more serious strings and somehow got us into _"The Four Seasons" _restaurant for dinner. (His idea of course)

Austin's parents started calling him around 3:00. . .and at first he ignored them.  
On the 15th call, he finally picked up.

But didn't give them a chance to speak.  
He simply told them "I'm too busy having fun right now to deal with your nagging" and then hung up.

After that, he put his phone on silent.

We spend the entire day basking in the ritzy glamorous white light that was daytime New York.  
But, tonight we would see the _real _city, New York after dark.

* * *

**That was definetly the longest chapter I've ever written . . . Hope u liked it :)  
I put a lot of time n effort in2 finding the pics 4 the chapter. . .so, plz, plz, PLZ check them out. There on Jazper1843Hale's profile. . .along with Becca's outfit, Austin's outfit . . . and then the outfits there gonna wear 2 the club r there 2. So, PLZ check them out. . .n plz review! :)**


	33. I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby

**_"Nightclubs"_**

The sun had set about a half an hour ago, and we were heading to the club.  
And we were on our way to our first club of the night, _Elixir._

We had picked up the Maserati.  
And had changed into more suitable clothes for clubbing.

I changed into my new pair of ripped jeans from Barney's.  
And then my black halter with the floppy black bow. I put on my new black platform heels too.

At Barney's I had obviously picked up some stuff for Austin, which he had changed into.  
He had ripped jeans, and a black t-shirt. I also got him black driving gloves, they would match better then the tan ones. He put on his aviators too.

We were in the car, on our way to _Elixir.  
_We were blasting music, _Punk Bitch, _by 3oh3.

I lowerd the music for a second, so it was background music.  
I needed to ask him something.

"So" I said "How do you plan to get us in?  
He picked up the VIP pass that was dangling around the neck. That I somehow didn't notice before. . .

"VIP, baby" he told me, smirking.  
"Where did you get it?" I wondered.

"I brought it with me" he said, shrugging "I planned on coming here. I got this about a month ago . . . "  
"These clubs have VIP?" I asked.

"Yea, _Elixir _is a pretty exclusive club. If you pay a heavy fee for a membership, then they won't ask for ID, they'll asume your old enough. . .or not care 'cause your a member" he said.  
"Oh. . .cool" I responded "But how do we get into the others?"

"I'll worry about it later" he told me.  
I rolled my eyes, "That'll go well" I mumbled.

"Were here" he announced, pulling into a thin parking lot.  
It was next to a dark dingy looking building. It was all black, no windows, and it didn't look like an exclusive club.

"This is it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Yep" he told me "The outside isn't supposed to be flashy"

"Okay then. . ." I mumbled.  
He got out of the car, and I followed.

He locked the car and put the keys in his pocket.  
He strolled over to the front door, and I stayed at his side.

An intimidating bouncer stood at the front door.  
The door was metal and black, with a single word key scratched into it, _Elixir. _

The bouncer was a tall black man. He was built like a profesional wrestler. Dark shades covered his eyes.  
He was _so _your sterio-typical bouncer, he even had the signature black jacket.

Austin showed him the VIP pass that hung around his neck.  
The bouncer nodded and opened the door for us.

We strolled in, I stayed at Austin's side.  
I wasn't sure what to expect, so I stayed with him.

Inside was the polar opposite of the outside.

The walls, floors, and ceilings were black. And there were no real lights. The only lights came from colored spotlights that raked over the floor. They somehow managed not to look tacky. When you first walked in there was a designated dance floor. People were dancing to the blaring music. I recognized the song as _"Not your boyfreind baby" _by 3oh3. Past the dance floor I could see the bar. In blood red neon letters across the front were the words _"Elixir of Life." _People were perched on black bar stools in front of it. They were all laughing loudly, drinking flouriscent colored drinks. Pink, green, purple, blue. . .they seemed to glow! In the corner there was a few plush bright colored couches. A neon pink couch was across from a zebra printed couch. Then there were a few puffy feathery chairs next to them. Nothing matched, but it did at the same to my enhanced sight, I could see the doors in the back. There were the restrooms, and then there was a door labeled "VIP" in neon green letters. Everyone was dressed in expensive looking clothes. A lot of black mixed with neon colors. I was happy about our outfit choices now, we wouldn't stand out.

I noticed that most of the people here looked older then us, though. They all appeared in there early twenties. Maybe a few in there mid twenties. I noticed some people I could identify as teenagers. Although most of them seemed around 18 or 19. We were probably some of the youngest people here.

As we manuarvered are way across the dance floor a blonde women tapped Austin on the shoulder.  
She looked around 21. . .with a mini skirt, fishnet stockings, and neon blue tube top. Reminding me faintly of the first outfit Kate tried to force me into. Her layered blonde hair was blown out. She had ridiciously long eyelashes, that were most likely fake. She licked her devil red lips skankily.

"Hey!" she called over the loud music "You wanna dance, baby boy?"  
Without waiting for a response, she starting dancing in front of him whore-ishly.

"No thanks" he declined.  
I smirked at the hooker, who was probably brought in here as a guest by some rich dude. I doubted they would let hookers in here otherwise.

The hooker looked disapointed, but quickly moved on to another guy.  
Austin rolled his eyes, and we headed for the bar.

We sat down at the bar, next to some drunk college kids.  
The barteneder came up to us. She had tan skin, and mahogony colored hair in a high ponytail. She had a black tanktop on that exsposed her belly button. Her arms were covered by fishnets. She wore low-rider jeans.

"What can I get you two?" she asked.  
"Hmmmm, I'll have a Virus" he told her, she nodded.

"Hmmmm" I thought, looking at Austin "What should I get?"  
"She'll have a Corruption" he told the bartender, smirking.

She nodded and turned to make the drinks.  
Thanks to her low jeans, and half top I could easily see the tatoo above her ass. It was a single word written in dripping scarlet letters _"Elixir" _

"There's a drink called 'Virus?'" I asked.  
"Yep, it's so good" he told me "And Corruption is good too. . .and accurate"

I smiled, "Yea, your not exactly a good influence" I informed him.  
"Like I didn't know that" he said, smirking "And your not exactly honor society material either"

I shrugged, and the bartender came back with our drinks.  
The one she handed Austin was a neon green, pratically glowing! And the one she handed me was a pratically glowing purple drink.

Austin took a sip from his drink, and I did the same.  
It tasted like Vodka mixed with some combination of fruit juices. It gave my tongue a tingly feeling, like a buzz to my mouth.

"Like it?" he asked.  
"Yea" I told him "It's really good. . ."

He took another swig of his drink, "Do I know what you like or what? First the ring, and now this"  
I rolled my eyes, "Like I don't know you just as well"

"Prove it" he challenged.  
"I will" I said haughtily.

"What's my favorite band?" he tested me.  
"Three Days Grace" I said, rolling my eyes. Duh. . .

"What's my favorite color?" he asked.  
"You don't have one" I answered.

"Favorite thing to do?" he continued.  
"Party and spend money" I shot back.

"Favorite subject" he demanded.  
"You don't have one" I said, smirking "They all suck"

"Favorite celebrity?" he asked.  
"Megan Fox" I said, rolling my eyes. That's _every _guy's favorite celebrity.

"Hmmm, impressive" he allowed, taking another swig of of neon liguid "But you'll never get this next one"  
"Try me" I said, taking a sip of 'Corruption.'

"What's my favorite blood type?" he asked, smirking. He felt all smug because he thought he had me.  
"AB positive" I said, smiling confidently.

"Okay, how the hell did you know that?" he demanded, shocked "I never told anybody that"  
I shrugged, "It's my blood type. . " I said and then added with a smirk "And I just assumed since were such a perfect match"

"Wow. . .I'm really impressed" he told me "You know me almost as well as I know you"  
"Oh really" I asked haughtily "Let's test that"

"Fire away" he said carelessly.  
"What's my favorite song?" I tested him.

"_Born For This" _he shot back "By 'Paramore'"  
I nodded in agreement, "My favorite book?" I demanded.

"_The Scarlet Letter" _he told me, smiling because he knew he was right.  
"Favorite food?" I threw at him.

He rolled his eyes, "Is that the best you can do? Blueberry pancakes, duh"  
Okay, that _was _obvious. . .

"Who's _my _favorite celebrity" I fired.  
"Taylor Lautner" he said with an eye roll.

"Favorite drink?" I demanded.  
"As of now? Corruption" he told me.

Damn, he's good.

". . . . What do I want to be when I'm older?" I asked.  
"Mrs. Kardigan" he said with a smirk.

I had to smile at that, "Yes, but what do I want to do for a career?"  
"A dancer" he said with an eye roll.

Yea, sounds strange I know. But I'm actually a really serious dancer. But, my dance instructors on vacation in Rio, so classes were cancelled for the last two weeks. And she supposed to be back in a week. Dancing is the one thing I'm really good at . . . I took ballet classes as a young kid, and then of course ball dancing classes, and now do contemporary dancing.

"Good. . ." I acknowledged.  
"Now, speaking of dancing. . .would you like to?" he asked.

"Yea, sure" I said, knocking back the rest of my drink "Let's go"  
We both got up from out stools, and he led me to the dance floor.

The song _"Paralyzer" _by Finger Eleven, was blaring.  
A bunch of people were on the floor dancing, there was an insane amount of dirty dancing too. . .

We began to dance to the music.  
Austin was a suprisingly good dancer, but nothing compared to my dancing.

I spun, dropped, swung my hips, and moved my feet to the fast beat.  
My dancing was a little provocative, but for this kinda song it was nessecary.

I danced my way towards Austin, closing the 6 inch distance between us.  
My breasts brushed against his chest.

He smiled, and moved his feet in sync with mine.  
I moved my left food foward, he moved his foot back. I moved my right foot back, he moved his foward.

I mixed in a few twists, and turns.  
I crouched down a few times and sprung back up. Then ran my fingers over his chest, and added in some more moves in.

We danced like that for almost an hours.  
Through a prossesion of fast paced songs.

I was starting to get a little tired, but I ignored it.  
I was having too much fun to be tired.

But, I did have to go to bathroom.  
So, I would have to pause our fun for a moment.

"Austin!" I called over the loud music "I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back"  
"Okay" he called back "But wait a minute"

He reached into his other pocket. The one he didn't keep his cash and credit cards in.  
He pulled out a VIP pass identical to the one around his neck.

"Here, take this" he told me "I'm gonna go in the VIP room, you'll need that to get in"  
"Okay" I said, putting the pass around my neck.

I headed for the ladies room.  
It was oddly clean in there. Which made me suspicious. . .what happened in here that was so horrible that they actually bothered to clean it? Or maybe it's just 'cause it's a nice place. . .

There were several women in there, doing there makeup in front of the mirror.  
Two of them looked like wealthy heiress by there snobby air, and clothes. The other 3 looked like high-priced hookers.

I rolled my eyes at them.  
After going to the bathroom they were still there. I washed my hands without looking at any of them.

I left the restroom and headed for the VIP room nearby.  
There was nobody guarding it. But the door had a lock like a hotel. Where you have to swipe the key card.

Hmmm, this place is up-to-date.  
I took the VIP pass and pressed it into the slot. The little red light turned green and the door unlocked.

I pushed it open, and entered the VIP room.  
It was just as glamorous as I expected. Because these people were the rich among the rich.

There was dim lighting, but none of the rotating colored lights. There was a fancier looking bar at the front. The stools were leather. . .I didn't even know they made leather stools. The bartender was a picture perfect blonde in a leopard spotted cocktail dress. The neon drinks she served came in cristal wine glasses. It wasn't as crowded in here, but still a lot of people. Off to the side there was a line of people giving massages to people in those fancy leather massaging chairs. In the middle there was a party-sized hot tub. People were kicking back in the hot tub, and a few others were getting in. In one of the corners there were a bunch of leather chairs, a bunch of young people in exspensive clothes were playing some kind of drinking game. One girl who came off as an heiress, looked like she was gonna pass out. There were some small tables scattered around, with people sitting at them, eating and drinking. Thats when I noticed that there were waitors in here too, bringing food to the tables.

In the back I spotted a long black leather couch. It was a few feet from the wall. There were two leather chairs facing each other off to the side of it. Two college guys in designer clothes were sitting in them. There were three skanks fawning over a blonde boy sprawled out on the leather couch.

Under closer inspection, I noticed that the blonde boy was Austin!  
Oh, hell no. . .

I strode through the VIP room, feeling like a women on a mission.  
A massue called to me.

"Miss, would you care for a massage?" he asked.  
I shook my head, and kept walking.

I approached the little lounge area.  
Austin was apparently telling a story.

"And she was like 'What the fuck is that'" he said, causing all the people around him to laugh, then he noticed me "Oh 'ey sweatheart"  
The bimbos crawling all over him looked up.

One of them was sitting at the other end of the couch, his feet in her lap. Another was leaning over the back of the couch. Austin's aviators over her eyes. The last one was kneeling behind the arm of the couch, near Austin's head. She was running her fingers through his blonde hair.

"Hi honey" I purred in a nasty voice.  
The skanks glared daggers at me.

"What'd I do?" he asked innocently.  
Okay, so maybe he really didn't do anything. But a bunch of skanks fawning all over him pissed me off.

I sighed, "Nothing, nothing"  
"Oh, good" he said, and then turned to the bimbo behind the couch "Can I have my sunglasses back now?"

She shook her head, and said playfully "Nope"  
Everyone laughed but me.

"Oh" Austin said "Let me intoduce you guys"  
He gestured to me "Guys, this is my girlfreind, Becca"

They all mumbled their 'hi's' to me.  
The two guys were alot more freindly then the girls.

"And, Becca" Austin contiued, pointing at each person as he rattled off their names, "This is Rex, Scott, Crystal, Scarlet, and Jade"  
Wow, the girls names were such stripped names!

"Hey" I mumbled.  
The one he pointed out as Jade (the one sitting with him) quickly changed the subject "So, Auss, what happened after that?"

They already had a pet name for him!?  
After knowing him for like 10 minutes? Crazy!

Austin's ability to make freinds with total strangers in a matter of minutes never failed to astound me.  
And he wasn't just accepted by them, he was adored by them.

Austin opened his mouth to continue with his tale.  
But I spoke before he could.

"I'm gonna go get a drink, okay?" I muttered.  
"Oh, alright" Austin said.

Rex got up, "I'll go with you. I want another 'Disease'" he said.  
"Well, if you have sex with the bartender I guarantee you'll get a few diseases" Austin joked.

Everyone laughed. The skanks laughed obnoxiously loud. With their giggly girly laughs.  
Ugh! Sickening. . .

"It's a drink" Rex explained.  
"Well, have fun with that" Austin said before launching back into his tale.

Rex walked with me to the bar.  
He was a nice enough looking guy. But he had nothing on Austin.

He had an even tan, accomplished by either pricey vacations to the Bahamas or a tanning bed. His shaggy brown hair was probably cut for 100's of dollars. He had dark wide eyes that were considerably friendly. He had on a black leather jacket that I remembered seeing at Barney's. It was like 1000$ . . . I'd bought a simmilar one for Austin. Then he had baggy jeans and DC sneakers. I noticed his watch had diamonds embedded in it. The VIP pass dangled around his neck.

We sat down at the bar, and I ordered another 'Corruption.'  
Rex ordered his 'Disease.'

"So" Rex asked sociably "Where are you from?"  
"Me and Austin live up at Cold Springs harbor . . . it's not far from here" I told him.

The bartender brought us our drinks.  
My neon 'Corruption' and Rex's scarlet red 'Disease'

He took a swig of it, "Oh" he said "I know where that is. I live around here. My penthouse is a few blocks down"  
"Ah" I said, sipping my drink "Your not in College?"

"Nope, didn't see the need" he said casually "My dad owns a car enterprise. . .I'm his heir. . .so, I didn't bother with college"  
"Ah. . .so how old are you?" I asked "'Cause your obviously old enough to be in college"

"21" he told me "And you?"  
"I'm only 16" I admitted "But I'll be 17 in January though"

"Oh, cool. . .so, how do you know Austin?" he wondered, taking a sip of his drink.  
"We go to the same highschool" I told him.

"Austin's in highschool?" Rex asked incredously.  
"Yep" I told him, sipping the purple liguid.

". . .well, I guess it makes sense. He acts our age, but he does look 16" Rex mused "But I didn't wanna point it out. Thats kinda rude, you know?"  
"Yea" I said ". . . you know whats weird? This place is jumping and it's a Monday night. . ."

He laughed, "Yea, but to the young and the wealthy of New York, every night is Friday night"  
"True" I agreed.

"Yea" Rex said, knocking back the rest of his drink "Ready to go back?"  
I knocked back the last of my drink, "Yep, let's go"

We headed back to the little lounging area.  
The ladies were still fawning over Austin. Scott was no longer in his chair. I noticed him in the corner a few feet away, talking on his cellphone.

I stole his seat before he could get back.  
Rex plopped down in his leather chair.

Austin was telling another story, "And I was like 'Well I didn't know she was _your _girlfriend"  
Jade, Crystal, and Scarlet laughed.

"I have a feeling that would've been hilarious if we'd heard the whole thing" Rex muttered.  
"It was" Austin said, he smiled at me.

Jade still had on Austin's sunglasses, and Crystal was still running her manicured fingers through Austin's hair.  
Scarlet was still in her position at the edge of the couch.

"Hey, Crystal" Austin asked sweetly "Can you get me a drink? A Virus"  
"Sure thing" Crystal said getting up.

"Careful, Crystal" Rex teased "You could go to jail for serving alochol to a minor"  
"What the hale are you talking about?" Crystal asked.

"Austin's 16" Rex explained.  
"Actually, I'm 17" Austin corrected "As of Friday"

"Oh, well I don't mind" Jade purred "I'm into the whole cougar and lion cub thing"  
"Ugh, Jade?" Austin asked arching an eyebrow "You know my girlfreinds right. . .right over there?"

Jade sneered at me.  
"Oh, she knows I'm just messing around" she said to me, smirking "Right Becca?"

Okay, thats the last straw.  
I've delt with these bimbos crawling all over him for too long. . .

"Yea" I said with false sweetness "I also know that if you don't stop flirting with my boyfriend I'm gonna mess up your face"  
Everyone did a double take.

"What?" Jade asked.  
"You heard me" I hissed "Stop flirting with my boyfriend"

Austin started to laugh.

"Ugh, sorry" Jade apologized hastily "I was just playing . . . "  
"Mhm" I muttered.

"So, ummmmm-" Scarlet said, trying to fill the awkward silence.  
"Actually" Austin said, getting up "Me, and Becca have some more clubs to hit tonight, right Becca"

I nodded immediatly, and got up.  
Austin reached over the couch, and took his aviators off Jade's face.

He put them back on, "Well, it was nice hanging out with you guys. Later"  
He threw an arm around my shoulder as we walked out of the VIP room.

He led me out of the club, and into the parking lot.  
As we were heading for the car, he spoke.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.  
I was about to say 'yes' but then I made the mistake of looking into those wide silver eyes. They looked so sad at the notion of me being mad at him.

"No" I sighed "I'm mad at the whores in there"  
"It's nothing, though" he explained "I didn't even give them my cell number"

I laughed, "I know, but I just get jealous easily. . .I mean, your like the best boyfriend ever and I wouldn't wanna lose you"  
He laughed, "But that would never happen. I wouldn't cheat on you. . .especially not with cheap hookers. . ."

"Yea, why cheat on your girlfreind with cheap hookers when you can afford such better prositutes" I said sarcastically.  
"Exactly" he said smirking.

We jumped into the car, and started towards the next club.  
I glanced at the clock, it was 12:56.

"What club are we going to now?" I wondered.  
"_Devastation" _he told me.

"These clubs have such weird names. . ." I mused.  
"Well, the ones were going to our designed for the young and the rich" Austin said "There not supposed to be normal"

"True" I agreed.

******

It was 5:34 in the morning.  
We had gone to a variety of clubs, _Devastation, Misfortune, Devilry, Rapture, _and _Acid. _

I got midlly drunk, but Austin was smart and stayed sober.  
He had as many drinks as I did, but they didn't affect him. He'd need another few bottles of Vodka to do that.

We were in the _Acid _parking lot, heading for the car.  
Austin led me towards the car, as I stumbled drunkenly.

I got into the front seat of the Maserati and Austin got in the front seat.  
He started the car, and I turned up the radio.

Austin drove us home then.  
Somewhere on the way home, I fell asleep.

****

When I opened my eyes we were parked in front of Austin's house.  
I had a slight headache, but thankfully I hadn't gotten too drunk. So, there was no massive hangover.

"Hey, wake up" Austin said softly, shaking my shoulder "Were here"  
"What are we doing at your house?" I mumbled groggily "I have to go home"

"No you don't" Austin told me "Kate called your mom and said you were sleeping over. Your covered"  
"Oh. . .how do you know?" I wondered.

"I talked to Kate on the phone a little while ago" he told me.  
"Oh" I mumbled, fumbling with the seatbelt.

I got out of the car, stumbling a little.  
Austin followed, he led me to the door.

Everyone was up, of course. Waiting for us.  
They all started shouting at us.

"Where have you been!?"  
"We've been worried sick!"  
"Look at you! You were supposed to stay home and get _better! _Now, you look worse!"

"Okay, okay" Austin muttered "Can we hold off on the lecture? Were both exshausted"  
"Where were you?" Mr. Kardigan demanded.

"New York City" Austin muttered, rubbing his eyes.  
Mr. Kardigan groaned.

"Did you drink anything today?" Mrs. Kardigan asked.  
"Define, drink?" he asked.

"As in blood. . . .ugh, from Becca" she said uncomfortably.  
"Oh . . .no" he told her.

"Your hopeless" Mrs. Kardigan moaned "You were supposed to drink from her today. You'll have to do it now. . ."  
"Yea. . ." he mumbled "But's it's gonna be her 5th feeding, you know"

"Well, you know what to do" Mrs. Kardigan said "Now, go"  
"Yea. . .we have a few things we need to get out of the car though . . . " he trailed off.

"Jupiter and Mars will get them" Mrs. Kardigan volunteered.  
"Don't look at anything" I hissed at them.

They grinned at each other and rushed out to the car.  
I groaned.

"I probably shouldn't of said that. . ." I mused.  
"No, you probably shouldn't of" Austin agreed.

"Yes, yes. Now go upstairs and feed" Mrs. Kardigan commanded "We'll deal with the other matters later"  
Austin mumbled something, and grabbed my wrist.

He pulled me upstairs, and I followed, feeling very confused.  
Whats the big deal with the whole '5th feeding' thing?

Well, I guess we'll see. . .

He led me to his room, and then turned to me.  
"I'll be right back, okay?" he told me.

"Alright" I said, confused.  
He nodded and turned and left the room. He closed the door behind him.

I went over and locked it.  
No need for anybody to walk in on me changing. . .

I lifted the shirt over my head, and shimmied out of the jeans.  
I went over to Austin's closet.

I looked at his clothes for a minute, and then picked out a shirt.  
It was a black over-sized t-shirt, I'd never seen him wear it before. . .

I pulled it over my head, it reached halfway to my knees.  
I had done this everytime I slept over Kate's on a whim. Whenever I didn't have pajamas.

I would come into Austin's room and take one of his shirts.  
They were usually a little too big for me, so they made decent night-shirts for me.

I unlocked the door before Austin got back.  
I drifted over to his un-made bed and sat down.

He looked kinda uncomfortable for some reason, but he smiled when he saw me.  
He took off his gloves and sunglasses and put them on his un-used desk.

"Nice pajamas" he complemented, kneeling on the bed next to me.  
I smiled, "Thanks. . .so your gonna feed off me again?" I asked hopefully.

"Yea, but this is your 5th feeding. . ." he told me uncomfortably "And theres something we have to do after the 5th feeding.  
"Well, what is it?" I prompted.

"You see, we have to-" he was cut off by Jupiter's screaming.  
"HOLY FUCK!" Jupiter shouted "LOOK AT THIS RING!!!!!!!!!!!"

Son of a bitch, thats what I didn't want them to find.  
Because, sure as hell, they were gonna jump to conclusions. . .

I laughed lightly, "So what is it we have to do?"  
"You see" he said, fidgeting a little "It's something we have to do every 5 feedings. Or, you'll lose too much blood and become weak. So. . .ummm, we have to exchange blood"


	34. The Good Life

**_"Peace and Conflict"_**

I did a double take, "Wait-what?"  
He sighed, "You have to drink a little of my blood ever 5 feedings. It will mix with your blood and strength you. It's so you won't get sick from losing so much blood"

Damn, this should be interesting.  
I wonder what vampire blood tastes like, Aurora seemed to like it. But then again, she's a vampire. . .

"Ugh. . .but how?" I asked, arching an eyebrow "'Cause you know, I . . .ugh, don't have fangs"  
He laughed a little, "Yea, I'm highly aware of that. You'll see. . .I've done this a million times. It's no big deal. . ."

"Ugh, one question" I said "What did your past girlfriends think about drinking your blood?"  
"Oh, well, it's done immediately after I feed from them. So, their usually a little dazed" he elaborated "So, then I just cut myself, they drink. Then I just tell them to forget and they do"

"Thats another thing I don't get" I mused "How come after I found out you were a vampire, you didn't just bite me and use the hypnotizing venom thing on me?"  
"Because, even then, I loved you. . .and it felt. . .wrong to do that to you" he explained.

"Oh, well" I said, shrugging "Let's get with the biting"  
"Your a little too excited about this" he noted.

I shrugged, "I think it would be an interesting experience. Educational, even. I'm always on the giving end of the feeding. . .I wanna see what it's like for you"  
"Well, you can't ever fully understand it" he told me "Because your not a vampire. . ."

"Semantics" I told him, waving a hand dismissively.  
He rolled his eyes at me.

"Okay, okay. Enough banter. It's feeding time" I said, tilting my neck back.  
He laughed, "Your such a venom junkie. . ."

He moved closer to me, we were both kneeling on his bed.  
His fangs began to extend, I smiled. I always loved his fangs . . . there was something really sexy about them. . .

He put a hand on my shoulder, and leaned into my neck.  
His fangs pressed against the bite mark. If he pressed a little harder, it would break the skin.

He put the slightest pressure on it and broke through the flesh.  
I felt a split second of pain, and then he began to drink and it was replaced by a giddy feeling.

Now, I've explained the joy that comes from feeding like 4 times already.  
So, it probably seems repetitive.

But, I think it's altogether impossible to get bored by a bite.  
Every time feels like the first time.

I feel giddy, happy, lusty, hyper, relaxed, hot, cold, detached, aware, invincible, vulnerable. . .all at the same time.  
So many conflicting emotions. . . but they somehow blended together perfectly. Like a smoothie of random emotions.

Instead of feeling like I was being used, I felt important.  
Like my blood was giving him life. I wonder if all blood donors feel like that. (Both kinds.)

But, this time, as the blood drained from my veins I began to feel tired.  
Overwhelmingly exshausted, but still proud that my blood gave him energy . . .

I felt him pull away and, despite my weariness, I was still upset that he was stopping.  
I opened my eyes and I was staring into his silver eyes.

We were still sitting on his bed, but I felt like I was gonna pass out any second.  
I was so tired. . .what the hell is up with that?

"Becca?" he asked. His voice drew my eyes to his lips. I watched the movement of his lips and listened less to the words. His fangs were retracted now. But his canine teeth still had the point to them, like they always did.

"Hmm?" I asked, dragging my eyes back to his eyes.  
"Ready?" he wondered.

I coudn't remember what he was talking about. . . damn, what was it we had to do now?  
I was about to ask when he placed his fingers against his wrist.

I watched, confused, as he dragged the nail of his pointer finger across his wrist.  
A line of blood spilled from the cut.

He raised his wrist to my mouth.  
And, before I could think, I pressed his wrist to my lips.

Holy fuck! It tastes so good!  
Even better then venom! I didn't think that was possible!

It left that buzzy feeling in my mouth, like the drinks I'd had at the clubs. But, this tasted so much better. It didn't taste like human blood at all. Human blood has a metallic coppery taste, well to a human it does. Austin's blood didn't taste anything like that. It had a sweet taste. Like sugar. . .and then it had a fruity taste to it too. Tropical fruits all blended together so perfectly that I couldn't distinguish which fruits there were. And it was so warm, really warm. Like there was fire in his veins. And, best of all, it was energizing. It was like chugging a double exspresso and then a pillowcase full of Halloween candy. Except, that would take about a half an hour to kick in. But, this took effect immediately. As soon as it touched my tongue I felt wide-awake. I was sooo tired before. . .but now I felt like I could run a marathon.

But, then Austin pulled his wrist away.  
Which made me angry, I wanted more!

"Thats enough for now" he panted.  
"But I want more" I pouted.

"This happens every time. . ." he muttered.  
"Hey!" I exclaimed "Your not all dazed, and lovey"

He smiled, "I know. I went in my father's office and found a book on Blood Binds. . .and found a loophole. If I stay emotionless during feeding, then I'll be in control of my emotions"  
"Damn" I muttered "I like you like that. . ."

"Really?" he asked, smirking "Is that why you used a sleeping spell on me last time?"  
"Oh, you figured that out?" I asked guiltly.

"Yes" he told me "Easily. There's several ways for vampires to sleep without darkness; 1. if there sick 2. if there low on blood 3. if you use a sleeping spell on them. Or . . . 4. if you hit them over the head with a wooden club . . . "

I wonder where one could get a wooden club. . .  
_"Don't even think about it" _Austin's voice filled my head.

"Hey!" I protested aloud "Get out of my head!"  
"Not so cool now, is it?" he asked, smirking.

"Okay, okay, I get the point" I muttered "It's rude to go into other people's heads. . .blablabla"  
"I'm glad you understand" Austin said smugly.

I didn't have anything to say so we just sat there.  
Looking at each other for a few minutes. Until I spoke.

"Ugh" I groaned "I'm so bored . . . there's nothing to do here"  
"I know somewhere we can go" he said, grinning.

"Where?" I asked.  
"Just follow me" he insisted.

He got up, and went over to the window.  
He opened it all the way. Uh oh. . .

"Your not suggesting we . . ." I trailed off worriedly.  
"That we jump out the window?" he finished "Yes, that's exactly what I'm proposing"

"You know I'm not a vampire right?" I asked "If I jump out the window I'll break my leg"  
"You learned how to conjure wind right?" he checked "Use that to lighten your fall"

"Okay. . ." I said, unsure of whether this would work or not.  
"See you at the bottom" he said, and then winked. He swung out of the window agilely.

There was no sound of impact.  
I peered out the window, but couldn't see anything. It was too dark.

I gulped, this could be tricky.  
God? Please don't let me die.

I took a deep breath, and shimmied out the window.  
I perched myself on the windowsill, my bare legs dangling over the side.

Austin's voice drifted up to me, "You comin?"  
"Yea" I called shakily.

I scooted off the edge of the windowsill, into the dark empty air.  
Air whooshed around me as I fell.

Oh shit, the ground was coming too fast.  
I wouldn't be able to conjure wind. . .shit, shit, shit. I'm gonna break my leg!

But, I have to try, right?  
I thought about wind for a second, and the wind around me blew out in a weird horizontal fashion. I couldn't see it, because it was dark.

But I could feel it. . .not just the wind itself, but the feeling I got whenever I used magic. A surge of delight.  
And, I could feel myself slowing down. The invisible ground coming towards me slower.

And then I landed on my own two feet.  
I didn't feel any pain at all, despite the fact I was bare-foot.

Austin's bedroom overlooked the backyard, so all I knew was that I was in the backyard.  
But, I couldn't see anything, it was pitch dark.

"Congrats" Austin's voice called, it came from the left.  
I spun around towards the sound of his voice.

I still couldn't see him, though.  
My eyes grazed over the area in front of me, I didn't see anything.

"Austin?" I called "I can't see . . ."  
"Hmmmm" he mused "I know, move the clouds away from the moon, then you'll be able to see"

"Move the clouds?" I asked, dumbfound.  
"Clouds are just water and air" he elaborated "Don't you know how to control those?"

"Well, yea" I mumbled "But. . ."  
"Just try" he urged.

"Okay. . ." I muttered, concentrating.  
I thought about clouds.

I imagined a perfect blue sky, the only clouds the puffy white harmless kind. They hovered around the sun, not obstructing it.  
I thought about how their only water and air. Just water and air.

Water and air.  
Water and air.

Then I felt that ping I got whenever I used magic.  
And I felt as if water and air were under my control, at the same time. More precisely, a cloud.

I thought about the clouds thinning, disintegrating away from the moon.  
And soon, the sky cleared. And I could see the bright magnificent moon hovering in the sky.

It lit up my surroundings, like a darker sun.  
Instead of lighting everything up a brilliant gold, it bleached everything colorless.

Everything was either black, white or grey.  
The ground was black, and the trees were grey. The sky was clad in black, a startling contrast to the white light of the moon.

As my eyes raked over my surroundings, I found Austin.  
He was standing about 10 feet from me.

His dark clothes were turned black by the moonlight. His skin was a radiant white.  
His pale blonde hair had been bleached snow white.

"There you are" I rejoiced.  
"Here I am" he agreed, coming closer, "Now that we can all see. . .perhaps I can show you that place now?"

"Let's go then" I insisted.  
"We have to run" he warned "And I mean really _run" _

"Like when the Arthasians attacked?" I asked.  
"Precisely" he agreed.

"But I can't run like that!" I protested.  
"Witches usually use a speed spell to run faster" he told me "But, you could use wind too"

"Wind? How?" I asked "And how do you know all this?"  
"Tora used to teach at the her house" he explained "To witches who's parents were too busy with work to teach them. You pick up on all this after hearing it a million times"

"Oh" I said "So what do I do?"  
He gave me a brief explanation of what to do.

The basics were; concentrate on air, imagine it as a barrier between you and the earth, and it should float under your feet and make you lighter and faster.  
Sounds easy. And, so far, magic has been a sinch for me. Turns out I'm a natural. . .who would've thought. . .

I concentrated on air. Imagined falling again and needing it's assistance immediately.  
I felt the wind creep up on me, whooshing through my hair.

It lifted it up, and then let it fall.  
Making the locks quiver and coil like snakes.

I exhaled deeply, and wind whooshed foward.  
I inhaled, and it whooshed back towards me.

Then I concentrated on moving the air under the soles of my feet.  
It slithered down under my feet, lifting them a millimeter off the ground.

Then I tried to imagine I was weightless.  
I was as light as a feather. Gravity doesn't apply to me. I am flying.

And then I started to rise, my feet a good three inches off the ground.  
I was hovering in the air!

"Woah!" I exclaimed "I did it!"  
"Good job" he congratulated me.

"Your a good teacher" I complimented.  
"Well, I can help with the element stuff" he said "But after that I'm lost. I only understand the elements because, in theory, the blue fire is like that. Like an extension of my body"

"That's what controlling the elements feels like" I mused.  
"Thats what they tell me" he said "Now, ready to go?"

"Yep" I chirped.  
"Good, now follow me" he said with a smirk "And try to keep up"

Then he took off running into the woods.  
Laughing, I ran after him.

My feet didn't touch the floor though, the wind was a barrier between the two.  
Each time my foot went down, it hit air. And bounced back up.

I was running faster then I ever had before.  
I was literally walking on air. With each bound I bounced in the air.

I could see the colorless blur that was Austin.  
He darted through the trees, and I followed, laughing with exhilaration as I did.

After about 10 minutes, I lost him.  
I stopped, hovering in the air. I scanned my surrondings, and couldn't see him.

"You've gotta do better then that" he called, his ghostly voice echoing in the silent forest.  
I spun around, towards the sound of his voice. But found only colorless emptiness.

"Austin?" I called, my voice sounding out of place in the quiet, "Where are you?"  
His whispery voice carried in the wind, "Come and find me"

I spun around again. The voice was coming from the right.  
My gaze raked over the colorless forest, peering in between the trees. Nothing.

My spun around several times.  
Searching the surrondings for Austin.

His musical laugh drifted towards me.  
"Having trouble, Becca?" his ghostly voice whispered "Tracking isn't your specality, is it?"

Getting fustrated, I took off running again.  
Towards the sound of his voice.

It didn't require a lot of exertion to reach amazing speeds, the wind made it like I was wearing springs under my feet.  
Pushing me off the ground without any work on my part.

As I ran, Austin's whispery laugh drifted around me.  
I pushed myself faster, flying through the trees.

I knew I was getting closer, the ghost of a laugh was getting louder.  
I pushed myself faster, so that I was almost exerting energy.

"Catch me if you can" his eerie voice taunted.  
His voice was so close, I knew he was nearby.

I broke through the trees into a clearing.

The whole clearing was faded out. The colors drained. It was a decent sized clearing, house sized. Most of it was taken up by a pond in the center. The was was bleached white by the moon. Black rocks were piled on the sides of the pond. Pale colored trees were scattered around. The overgrown grass made my bare feet itch. The cold wind blew around me.

"I know your hear Austin" I called "Show yourself"  
"So you give up?" his mysterioud sounding voice asked.

I groaned, "Yes, I give up. Just tell me where you are"  
"Look behind you" a ghastly voice breathed.

I spun around, and saw nothing.  
No Austin.

"Hey!" I protested "You said you were behind me!"  
"Look up" he instructed.

I looked up, and saw Austin crouched in a bare tree.  
His ashen face was lit up with a playful smirk.

"Your such a child, Austin" I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest.  
He dropped out of the tree silently.

"I wanted you to find this place by yourself" he elaborated.  
"This is where you wanted to take me?" I asked.

"Yep" he said, drifted to the bank of the pond.  
He crouched down and picked up a stone.

He threw it across the pond, it skipped 5 times across the water before sinking.  
"I used to come here when I was a kid" he told me absently "When I was angry, or upset. . .or when I wanted to use the blue fire. . .you see that stump over there?"

I looked where he nodded, across the pond.  
There was a deformed tree stump. It looked like it had been slashed diagononly. Black ashes stained the pale wood.

"I wanted to see how long it would take to burn down a tree" he said in a dream-like voice, almost talking to himself.  
I ambled towards him. He was crouching by the bank of the pond, staring at it with a vacant exspression.

"4 seconds" he murmered "It took 4 seconds to burn down that tree"  
I don't know what kind of response he was expecting, but I doubt it was simmilar to the one he got.

"Cool" I said "Can you show me?"  
"You want me to _show _you?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Yea, show me" I insisted ". . . .slice that tree in half"  
I pointed to a particularly large ashen tree to our left.

He looked up, glancing at the tree. He brushed some of his now bleached white hair out his eyes.  
He sighed, and got up.

He just stood there and stared at the tree.  
He didn't do anything, just stared at it blankly.

And the top half of the tree burst into flames, blue flames.  
I watched in wonder and horror as the tree burned.

It was _scary. _The way the blue fire turned the top half of the tree to ashes in seconds.  
But it was also amazing, beautiful even. Magnificent in it's brute strength and power.

"Wow" I whispered as the blaze died down.  
"Yea" he snorted.

He dropped to the ground, sitting with his forehead resting on his knees. He gazed vacantly at the still pond.  
I plopped down next to him, stretching my legs out in front of me.

The overgrown grass tickled my bare legs.  
The tangled grass was wet too, with dew most likely.

I rested my head, and sighed dramatically.  
"It's pretty here" I murmered.

"Mhm" he agreed absently.  
". . . . do you know what time it is?" I asked randomly.

He glanced up at the sky, looking at the moon.  
He stared at it for a few seconds.

"6:24" he told me, confident in his assement.  
"You can tell all that by looking at the moon?" I asked, shocked.

He nodded, "It's an immortal thing. . .you'll pick up on it" he mumbled absently.  
"Yea" I sighed, laying back in the wet tangled grass.

He stayed in his sitting position, staring foresakingly at the pond.  
I, for one, don't understand why he's so done. He was so excited to come here, playing in the forest. But, once we were here. . .

"What's wrong?" I wondered.  
He shrugged. Yea, real helpful Austin.

"You were so excited to come here" I mumbled "But now. . ."  
"It's just. . .just this place has some bad memories. . .I didn't think it would affect me" he mumbled.

"Well, then let's make some good memories here" I said, and yanked his shirt collar.  
He understood what I wanted and layed back in the grass next to me.

"From now on" I continued "This is _our _pond, alright? Our special place to come to when we want to be alone. . .and nobody else can know about it"  
He smiled slightly, "I would like that"

I matched his smile with one of my own, "I thought you would"  
I snuggled closer to him, and he wrapped an arm around me.

And while laying in the wet grass near the pond, I began to drift to sleep.

*****

When I opened my eyes the pond looked like a completely different place.  
No longer drained of color by the moon, it was now lit up golden by the sunlight that wafted down.

I looked around me, cataloguing my surroundings.

The wet overgrown grass glimmered a bright jade. The still water was now a brilliant pearlie blue. The washed out Autumn leaves were scattered around, tangled in the grass. The bare trees were a deep dark brown. There was a burned looking tree stump across the pond, and one to my left. A black raven was perched in a tree, it cocked it's head at me in wonder.

Sleeping in the grass a few feet from me was Austin.  
He was facing away from me, laying on his side. The sun lit up his blonde hair a brilliant gold.

I yawned, and stretched. I moved into a sitting position.  
I glanced up at the sky, the sun was resting in the east.

Shit, it's morning.  
We're gonna be late.

I scrambled over to Austin, and kneeled next to him.  
I shook his shoulder gently.

He woke up quickly. He blinked at me a few times, adjusting his eyes.  
He rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Becca?" he asked groggily.  
"C'mon, were gonna be late" I told him.

He moved into a sitting position, massaging his temple.  
"Ugh" he moaned.

"Come on" I urged, summoning wind as I did.  
Luckily, wind seemed to understand my urgency and came quickly. The air went quickly under my feet, and lifted me.

"Let's go" I said, and took off running.  
Austin took off as soon as I did.

His natural vampire speed was much more effective them my witchy spells.  
So, he was soon ahead of me.

I followed him back to the house, barely getting time to notice how pretty the forest was.  
It looked so different then the bleached spooky colorlessness of last night. Like another world.

We broke through the trees into the Kardigan's backyard.  
Austin ran up to the house, and bounded into his second floor window.

I was shocked, he rarely showed his true strength.  
So, I was a little confused on just how powerful vampires were.

Bullets couldn't hurt them, but wood and other immortals could.  
They could rip doors off the hinges and jump into second story windows, but if they don't drink everyday they become weak.

It was so confusing.

I would think about it later though, we were gonna be late.  
I used the wind to bring me up to the window.

I hovered outside the window for a moment, and then slid in.  
I released the wind under my feet, moving back to the floor.

Austin had already changed in the two seconds I paused outside.  
He had changed into lighter ripped jeans, and a black hoodie.

I noticed all my bags on the floor in the corner.  
I wonder who brough those up. . .

"Get dressed" he told me, and then ran down the hall.  
I rushed over to the door, and closed it. Then locked it, just in case.

I dug into the bags of clothes on the floor.  
I took out a pair of over-priced skinny jeans, a black tank top, and a 1000$ leather motorcycle jacket.

Then I located my platform heels in the corner.  
I went back to the bags and found the eye-liner and mascara I had bought at Barneys.

Thank God for my extravagance!  
Or, I'd have nothing to wear today.

I changed quickly, and then groaned.  
There was no mirror in here. Damn men and their ability to not care how they look.

I rushed out of Austin's room and into Kate's.  
She wasn't there, but her full-length mirror was.

I looked in it breifly.

Damn, these clothes look _so _good. No wonder there so expensive. . .  
I left the leather jacket open, revealing the black tank top. The combination made me look really skinny. And of course the skinny jeans did too. The platform heels made me a few inches taller too. My mess of curls fell all around.

I did my make-up speedily.  
I mostly only did eye-make up anyway. I left the mascara and eye-liner on her dresser and ran out.

Austin was coming down the hall then, and we almost bumped into each other.  
"There you are" he said.

"Yep" I said, rushing down the stairs.  
"You look nice" he complimented, following.

"Thanks" I mumbled, running into the kitchen.  
Jupiter, and Mars were sitting at the table. Besides, them it was empty.

Surprising. . .

Mars whistled when he saw me.  
Not surprising.

"Two hot outfits in one week" Jupiter mused "Keep it up"  
"Fuck off" I muttered dryly.

Austin snatched his bag off the table, and slung it over one shoulder.  
I saw mine laying on the floor. Thank you, Kate!

I picked it up and slung it over one shoulder too.  
We were about to leave.

"So, where were you guys this morning" Mars asked.  
"None of your buisness" Austin hissed.

"Well, your parents were freakin out" Jupiter added "But they had to go to work. . ."  
"Well, thats not my problem" Austin muttered "Now, we have to go, were gonna be late"

"It's 10:00" Mars said "Your already late"  
"Whatever" Austin muttered, snatching his keys off the table and walking out the door.

I followed, but before I could close the door Jupiter called to me.  
"Hey! Wait, what's with the rock from Tiffany's?" he called urgently.

I flipped him off, and closed the door.  
I ran after Austin, who was heading for the Maserati.

He got in the front seat, and I got in the passenger seat.  
He sped through town, ignoring all traffic signs.

We got to the parking lot in two minutes flat.  
Damn.

He pulled into his usual spot, and got out of the car.  
I rushed after, feeling like I was going to fast.

He locked the car, and headed inside.  
The parking lot was empty of students.

The hallways were too.  
It was 10:05, 1/4 of the way through 3rd period.

We both went into social studies, my favorite class. Mostly because I sat next to Austin, but also because I find it interesting.  
We opened the classroom door, and everyone turned to look at us. The door was in the back of the class, so everyone had to turn around.

Oh, damnit.  
Of course, me and Austin both walking in late together was suspicious. Damn teenagers and their pervertedness. . .

Some people were smirking at us, bastards.  
Others were whispering to each other.

Mrs. Maket didn't look too conerced with our lateness.  
She just nodded in acknowledgment, and gesutred for us to take our seats.

We both headed to our seats in the front row.  
We sat down quietly, and Mrs. Maket continued her lesson.

I zoned out for most of it.  
And I'm pretty sure Austin wasn't paying attention either.

After class, we both left the class quickly, avoiding people.  
Outside of the classroom though, we ran into Kyle and Nick.

"Hey" Jason said "Where were you two this morning. . . and yesterday"  
"We ditched and went to the city" Austin said casually.

"Oh, cool" Jason said "And, 'ey Becca, nice outfit . . ."  
"Your such a moron" I muttered.

"Yea, Jason" Kyle mocked "Friday's outfit was _much _better, duh"  
They both snickered, while Austin glared.

"I don't know, Kyle" Jason said, smirking "I think she looked even better _without _that outfit on . . ."  
"Crossing the line, Jason" Austin hinted.

Jason shut up then, hmmmm maybe he's smarter then he looks.  
"Yea, so whats the deal with the 'episode' at the party?" Kyle asked "And what happened to you all weekend? You like dropped off the face of the Earth again. . ."

Austin replayed the story about how I got stuck in Kates room, and how Jake showed up at a bad time.  
And then how during the fight a peice of wood went through his hand. . .

"Ow" Jason muttered "That must've hurt like hell. . ."  
"It did" Austin agreed dryly.

"So, where were you this weekend?" Jason wondered "There was a party at Derik's on Saturday, I texted you about it. . .but you never answered"  
"Oh, yea. . .well, I picked up a bug at the ER" Austin lied "And my phone was dead and I was too busy feeling like I was dieing to answer it"

"Oh, well, okay. . .gotta go, bells gonna ring" Jason said, and then him and Kyle took off.  
Austin and I did the same.

The rest of the day was spend replaying the story to everyone.  
And occasionally snapping at people who made rude comments.

After school, I was in the parking lot, chatting with some freinds.

Hannah, Rach and Kate.  
We were standing near the crossover, that Kate had driven to school.

Austin had football practice, and actually decided to go this time.  
Since this was the last practice before their last game of the season.

So, I was catching a ride with Kate.  
We were waiting for Dianna and Mandy.

We were all going home with Kate because she was having a sleepover party at her house.  
You may think thats weird because it's Tuesday.

But, we don't have school for the rest of the week, thanks to Parent Teacher Confrences.  
And I didn't even find out till today!

So, I was in an ecstatic mood. . .

Untill the Presidents BONY arrived.  
AKA: Bimbos Of New York.

Sara, Tasha, and Dana.

They also used to hang around Austin like parasties. . .  
But, ever since we got back from Hades, he'd been giving them the cold shoulder.

And, the reason for that is me.  
Since Austin likes me, more then all of them combined.

So, they can put that in their pipe and blow it.

"Hey, Becca" Tasha purred nastily "I'm looking for something, can you help me find it? I think Austin has it . . ."  
"What is it?" I asked suspiciously.

"Your virginity" she hissed.  
Her hoe-ish freinds burst into obnoxious laughter.

Without thinking, I pulled my fist back and punched her sqaure in the nose.  
She stumbled back, blood spurting from her nose. Her spineless freinds squeaked in shock.

"Bitch fight!" some random guy shouted.  
Damn him. . .now, a crowd had started to form. Watching from the sidelines.

"You little tramp!" Tasha screeched at me "I'm gonna fuckin rip off your head!"  
"Don't you have something better to do?" I hissed "Like giving out free blow jobs to the football team like you usually do"

The crowd let out a childish chorus of "Ohhhhhhhh"  
I ignored them.

"Bitch!" Tasha screamed, charging at me.  
She knocked me onto the hood of the crossover.

She hovered over me, panting heavily. Her eyes full of rage.  
Blood dripped from her nose.

She pulled her fist back, preparing to land a blow to my face.  
But, as she brought her fist down, I rolled out of the way.

Her fist instead smacked down on the hood of the car.  
"Mother fucker!" she cursed in pain, clutching her now bleeding fist.

Furious, she pinned me down to the hood of the car.  
And a teeny tiny speck of blood fell from her bloody knuckles and landed on the sleeve of my jacket.

"You. Got. Blood. On. My. Jacket!" I roared "This jacket cost a fuckin 1000 dollars!!!!"  
And then I kicked her in the stomach, and she rocketed on to the pavement.

It must of hurt too, cause I felt the heel of my shoes go into her stomach.  
From now on, I'm wearing heels all the time. They make my kicks so much more effective!

She lay still on the pavement, and I sauntered over to her.  
I towered abover her, a smirk on my face.

"Not so tough now are - Woah!" I was cut off when I fell.  
The little bitch tripped me with her skinny chicken legs!

I landed on the hard pavement, next to her.  
And then she attack me again.

We were rolling on the floor.  
Kicking, punching, scratching, cursing, yelling, screaming. . .

The crowds did nothing but cheer and taunt.  
Only making things more confusing.

It was chaos.

At some point, I was underneath Tasha.  
She pulled her fist back to land another blow to my face.

"STOP IT!"

The angry voice didn't belong to a teacher (Thank God!)  
But to a teenager. A really angry guy with a hot voice. . .

Austin.

I couldn't see him in the jumbled mass, but I knew he was there.  
I knew his voice anywhere.

Then, someone lifted Tasha off of me.  
Pulling her to her feet.

It was Austin. He was dressed in his football uniform.  
His metallic eyes were blazing.

He threw Tasha effortlessly into another car.  
She collided with the vehicle.

Austin stalked over to her.  
He grabbed her wrist, so she couldn't move.

"You don't ever come near my girlfreind again" he snarled dangerously "Ever."  
She noddded meakily, wiping blood off her forehead.

He let go of her wrist abrubtly.  
"Good" he snapped, and walked away from her.

Her freinds rushed over to her, and guided her away.  
She was sniffling the entire time.

The watching crowd had grown silent when Austin had broken up the fight.  
But hadn't left.

He walked over to me. I was still lieing on the pavement.  
My freinds were crowded around me. Talking to me, and helping me up.

"Are you okay?" Austin asked.  
Kate helped me to my feat, and I wobbled a little.

"Yea, fine" I said, wiping blood off my mouth with the back of my hand.  
"Take her home" he instructed Kate "I gotta go"

She nodded in agrement.  
He grunted, and then took off for the football feild.

My freinds assited me in getting to the crossover.  
I sat in the back, in between Mandy and Hannah. Rach and Kate sat up front, and Dianna plopped in the trunk.

My freinds raved about what a bitch Tasha was.  
And about what a good fight I put up. And how the bitch will probably need stiches.

I nodded in agreement, occasionally wiping blood off my face.  
"When we get home, we'll get you something else to wear" Rach said, "Your covered in blood"

I looked at my expensive clothes, soaked in blood.  
It wasn't very noticiable on the maroon jacket, but still.

I sighed, "I hope it comes out of this jacket. It was really expensive, and I totally love it"  
My freinds laughed, glad to see I was quickly recovering.

"Don't worry" Kate said "If it doesn't, Austin will buy you a new one"  
"Yea. . .but it annoys me that the bitch made me ruin it"

"Forget about her" Rach insiste.  
"Besides, this is gonna be the best sleepover ever" Mandy added.

It better be.


	35. Girl's Night Out

**_"Sleepover"_**

I stumbled out of the crossover, the sunlight was blinding.  
We were at my house, picking up my stuff.

We were stopping at everyone's house to pick up their stuff.  
Since, this sleepover party was a last minute thing.

I stumbled over to my front door, and pushed it open.  
My parents weren't home, but Jake was lounging on the couch watching tv.

"Oh my God!" he shouted, getting up "What happened to you!?"  
"I got in a fight with Tasha Palmer" I mumbled.

"When did this happen?" he demanded.  
"A little after school" I muttered.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a surprising amount of concern in his voice.  
"Yea, yea. . ." I muttered, wiping blood off my forehead "I'm just gonna go upstairs and change, and get my stuff. I'm sleeping over Kate's again, she's having a sleepover"

He looked like he wanted to protest.  
But he bit his tongue (literally) and clenched his fists at his side.

He grunted, and nodded towards the stairs.  
I consented and went upstairs.

My head was pounding like crazy.  
Damn you, Tasha. . .

I went into my room, and grabbed clean clothes off my chair.  
And then whirled out of the room.

I headed into the bathroom.  
I looked in the mirror.

Aw, damn!

I was a total mess! I had several scratches on my cheeks, thanks to Tasha's overly filed nails. There was a newly forming bruise on the corner of my forehead. A cut over my eyebrow was bleeding. My lower lip was slightly swollen and bleeding. My hair was tangled and had dried blood and dirt in it.

I shrugged out of my beautiful jacket, and placed it on the counter.  
My arms had a few scrapes on them, but not bad.

I decided to take a quick shower.  
I took out my cellphone and texted Kate:

_I'm gonna take a quick shower. go 2 every1 else's houses first n come back for me k?_

I locked the bathroom door, and took off my bloody clothes.  
Kate texted my back as I was turning on the water.

_kk, c u then_

I closed my phone and left it on the counter.  
I got in the shower, and rejoiced in the hot water. It felt amazingly good!

I washed my filthy, notted hair.  
Washed all the blood off me.

Then, got out.  
No matter how sad it made me. . .it felt so wonderful in there!

I got out and wrapped a towel around myself.  
I looked in the mirror. My face looked much better now!

Without the horrible hair it didn't look nearly as bad.  
And without blood dripping off my face I looked much better. The bruise was still annoying, but it could've been worse.

I changed into black sweatpants, and a white camisole.  
I put a thin grey sweatshirt over it for now.

I towel-dried my hair, and brushed my teeth.  
I went into my room, and put on my sneakers.

Then I put my phone into pouch of my sweatshirt, and sauntered downstairs.  
I didn't bother packing anything, I had enough clothes at the Kardigan's house already.

Jake was still in the living room when I got there.  
He was lounging on the couch, but he didn't look nearly as relaxed as he did before.

"Bye" I called, as I opened the door to find the crossover back already "I'll see you later"  
"Be good" he told me.

I rolled my eyes, and headed outside.  
I rushed over to the car, and jumped in the backseat.

"Oh" Hannah said "You look so much better now that your not covered in gore"  
"Ugh, thanks?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

She laughed, "This is gonna be so much fun!"  
"Yea" I agreed absently.

When we arrived at the Kardigans, we were the only one's there. Mrs. and Mr. Kardigan were still at work.  
The visiting immortals had been asked to make themselves scarce during Kate's sleepover, and they did. And Austin was at football practice until 6.

The most important parts of a sleepover are; the inappropriate film, and truth or dare.  
But, those two are saved until it was dark out. Movie around 12, and truth or dare until everyone falls asleep.

So, we did random things to fill up the empty time.  
For about 2 hours, we baked cookies (I don't know why, Dianna's idea)

Now, it takes an excruciatingly long time for girls without any cooking knowledge to bake cookies from scratch.  
And also because we started a flour war. . .

The whole kitchen was coated in flour, and so were we.  
But, the cookies were finally in the oven.

We all cluttered around the table afterwards, to have some snacks.  
'Cause making cookies makes you so hungry!

Kate broke out the chips, salsa, and soda.  
And we all dug in, well except for Kate. But, she made it look like she was eating. . .

Then, Austin came through the door. He had sweat on his forehead, and his cheeks were flushed.  
He was changed back into his normal clothes, jeans and a white t-shirt. His black sweatshirt was gone though. . .

He glanced around the kitchen when he walked in.  
He looked at us, coated in flour, and raised an eyebrow.

"What happened in here?" he asked.  
I got up, and walked over to him. I kissed him hello, a very company appropriate peck on the lips.

"We were making cookies" I told him.  
"And did they explode. . ." he wondered.

I swatted him, "Nooo . . . we just had a flour war"  
"Oh, a flour war. . ." he said sarcastically "Of course, why didn't I think of that?"

I swatted his arm, "Shut up. . . why are you here anyway?" I asked.  
"I live here" he said in a voice that questioned my sanity.

"No, I mean don't you have football practice for another . . . ." I paused to check the oven clock "Half an hour?"  
"Yea" he said, shrugging "But, I got bored about ten minutes ago and ditched"

I laughed, "If you weren't the best player on the team, then Coach Smith would so kick you off the team for ditching so much, you know that right?" I checked.  
He grinned, "Yep, I know"

"Just chekin. . ." I mumbled.  
"So, how are you?" he asked, concern suddenly coloring his tone.

"Fine" I told him "A little banged up, but pretty much okay"  
"Good" he said, wrapping his arms around my waist, "I was worried about you, you know?"

"Hey!" Kate interrupted "Before you two start acting all lovey dovey, let me remind you there are other people in the room. Who are eating, I might add"  
We pulled away from each other. "Sorry" I apologized.

Austin just rolled his eyes, and left the room.  
I sat back down at the table.

My friends giggled, and gushed about how hot Austin was, and how lucky I was to be his girlfriend and be able to kiss him whenever I want.  
Well, except for Kate, who put her hands over her ears and muttered "lalalalalala"

The oven made a beeping sound then.  
Alerting us that it had been 20 minutes.

"The cookies are done!" Kate exclaimed, rushing over to them.  
She took them out of the oven, and placed the two trays on the stove.

We let them cool for a few minutes before sampling.  
They actually tasted good!

"Oh my God, these don't suck!" I shouted in shock.  
"Hot, hot, hot, hot!" Rach chanted, jumping up and down.

"Oh my God, there so hot!" Many exclaimed, taking another cookie and putting it in her mouth.  
"If there so hot then stop eating them!" I reasoned. They didn't taste _that_ hot to me.

"I can't!" she told me "There so effing good!"  
"Yea, there amazing!" Hannah raved "The chocolate chips are all melted and yummy!"

I laughed, "Yea, they are"  
"Well stop eating them!" Dianna insisted "There won't be any left for later"

"Yea, your right" Mandy sighed.  
There was a collective dreamy sigh as we all finished our cookies.

For the next hour we looked at videos on the Internet.  
Then Mrs. Kardigan called us for dinner.

She rushed down the stairs all at once.  
And then slid into the dining room.

We were having dinner in there because of all the people.  
The dining room was large and elegant. The dark wood dining room table could seat 15. Exactly how many seats we needed.

How convenient.

Everyone was already seated, but they had left the other half side of the table empty for us.  
We all sat down, and glanced at our plates.

Roast beef, baked potatoes, mixed vegetables, and biscuit's.  
In our glasses were soda.

Everyone was eating. Except for the vampires.  
Jupiter, Mars, Ralph, and Domingo douvered their food. Men. . .

Me, and all my freinds ate fast, but not that fast.  
We complemented Mrs. Kardigan on how amazing everything was.

The vampires all played with their food.  
Poking them with their forks, moving them around. Placing cups to their lips but not drinking. Putting empty forkfuls into their mouths.

You didn't notice these things unless you were paying attention.  
I wasn't paying close attention, but I did look at them occasionally.

Austin was sitting on the complete opposite end of the table. His father was sitting at the head of the table, and Mrs. Kardigan on his right. Austin sat on his father's left. He was starring down at his plate. He poked his food absently with his fork.

My freinds finished quickle, and didn't waist time making small talk with the others.  
We ran upstairs and into Kate's room.

It was now 7:30, we were getting closer to the big events of the night.  
Movie and truth or dare.

First, everyone else changed into pajamas (I was already in suitable pajamas)  
Then we all cluttered around Kate's big fluffy bed.

She took out her cellphone and we began prank calls.  
Of course we used *67 so nobody would know who it was.

"Let's prank call Tasha!" Dianna insisted.  
"Oh, yes, yes!" I agreed "Let's!"

"Where will we get her cellphone number?" Hannah asked.  
"Would it surprise you if Austin had it?" I hinted.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he had her bra" Rach muttered.  
I smacked her upside the head, "Boyfreind, remember?" I checked.

"Good idea!" she enthused "He's your boyfriend, you ask him"  
I rolled my eyes, not what I meant.

"Fine" I muttered, getting up and heading for Austin's room.  
Directly next to Kate's room.

The door was slightly open, but I knocked anyway.  
"Austin?" I called "Can I come in?"

"Sure" he called boredly from inside.  
I walked in, and I saw him lounging on his bed, on his laptop.

"What's up?" he wondered.  
"Do you have Tasha's number?" I asked randomly.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked suspiciously.  
"We want to prank call her" I explained.

"Oh in that case. . ." he said, smirking.  
I walked over to him, and he wrote the number on my arm.

"Thank you!" I chirped, pecking him on the lips.  
He smiled, and I left.

I headed back into Kate's room.  
"I got it!" I rejoiced.

They all squealed in delight, and I made the call.  
I dialed the number and she answered.

_"Hello?"_  
"Is this Tasha Palmer?" I asked in a fake southern accent.

My friends all tried to hold back their giggles.  
I gave them a look to warn them to keep quiet.

_"Yes? Who is this?"  
_"This is Bessy" I drawled.

_"Who?"  
_"Bessy" I repeated, acting agitated "You speak English girl? Bessy, named after my great Aunt Pearl's favorite cow. . .oh how I used to love that old hefer. . .and the cow too"

_"Well, Bessy" _Tasha sneered "_I think you have the wrong number"  
_"Your Tasha Palmer, aren't cha?" I asked in my southern drawl.

_"Yes, but-" _she began.  
"If your Tasha Palmer then your the tramp sleepin' with my man!" I shouted, improvising.

All my friends covered their mouths with fluffy pillows to keep from laughing.  
Hannah fell on the floor, she always did have control issues. . .

_"What!? No!" _she defended herself.  
"Hows I hear it, your sleepin' with everyone's man!" I retorted "Now, y'all better stay away from Harold, or I'll blow out your brains with my riffel!"

_"Leave me alone!" _Tasha screeched before hanging up.  
The line went dead.

We all burst into hysterical laughter.  
We couldn't stop.

"Harold?" Kate gasped between laughter.  
"Well, it had to be as southern as Bessy" I gasped.

"Those are such-such sterio-types" Hannah managed in between her laughter.  
"Says the stupid . . . blonde" I chocked.

"Oh, no you didn't" Hannah said, playing around. She snapped her fingers in a Z formation.  
"Oh, yes I did" I said, pretending to be a gangster.

Then she picked up a fluffy pillow and slapped me across the face with it.  
"Oh, I know you didn't just do that" I teased, hitting her over the head with another pillow.

"Pillow fight!" Rach declared.

Then everyone grabbed pillows and started a full-on pillow war.  
We were all giggly, and some people had fallen on the floor. . .

Then Jupiter walked in.  
"I heard the words pillow fight-Woah!" he said as he walked in.

It must've looked like chaos, I'm sure.  
Girls running around, and smacking each other with pink feathery pillows.

"Thank you Santa!" Jupiter said, pretending to pray "Now, if you would all just play strip poker. . ."  
"Perv" I muttered, and threw a pillow across the room towards him.

It hit him smack in the face, and he stumbled back.  
Kate rushed up and locked the door.

We all stared at each other for a minute, in complete silence.  
And then burst out laughing for no apparent reason.

"Who wants to watch a movie?" Kate asked.  
Everyone jumped in with movie suggestions.

"How about. . . _'Epic Movie?'" _I suggested "It's slightly violent, it's crude, it's hysterical and it's not approved for children"  
"Okay, sounds good to me" Kate said, and everyone else chimed in, in agreement.

Kate put on epic movie, and we all layed on either the floor or Kate's massive bed to watch.  
I, for one, preferred the comfy bed to the floor.

By the time the movie was over, it was 12 o'clock.  
A good time to begin games.

"Who's ready for truth or dare?" Kate asked.  
Everyone was, of course, ready. So, Kate turned off the lights except for a tiny lamp in the corner. It had to be dark for truth or dare, but there had to be some light so we could preform dares.

We all sat in a circle on Kate's over sized fluffy bed.  
We hadn't had a big sleepover party in a while, and I was excited.

"Okay, remember, none of this is to _ever _be repeated" Rach reminded us "Under penalty of death"  
"Melodramatic much?" I asked.

"I'm serious" she said flatly.  
"Okay then. . ." I trailed off, questioning her sanity.

"Who wants to go first?" Kate wondered.  
"Oh, I do!" Hannah enthused.

"Alright, who do you pick?" Kate asked.  
"Hmmmmm, I pick. . .Mandy!" Hannah decided.

"Dare" Mandy decided before she could ask.  
"Hmmmmmmmm, I dare you to. . . lick the floor" Hannah said, smugly.

"Ha" Mandy scoffed "That's all?"  
She slid off the bed and onto the floor, then licked it. And then came back up.

"Easssy" she proclaimed "Now, it's my turn. I choose. . .Kate. . . truth or dare?"  
"Dare" she decided.

"I dare you to go downstairs and pour chocolate syrup all over your head" Mandy said, smirking.  
Kate got up, and muttered "Hating you" as she headed downstairs.

We snickered as we waited for her to return.  
A few minutes later she walked in, chocolate syrup saturated her hair, and dripped down her neck and onto her shirt.

We burst into hysterical laughter.  
She grimaced at us, and sat back down, pouting.

"Alright" she huffed "I pick Rach"  
"Dare" she proclaimed. What the fuck is up with everyone and dares? Don't they see they always end badly?

"I dare you to. . . ductape your legs together" she said smugly.  
"Okay then . . ." Rachel said, heading over to Kate's desk. For reasons unknown, she actually had ductape on hand.

Rach sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped the duct tape all the way around her legs.  
Binding them together.

"Okay, my turn" Rach said "I pick Becca . . .Truth or dare?"  
"Truth, duh" I said, rolling my eyes "After seeing all those dares? Of course I pick truth"

"Okay. . so tell us Becca, how far have you and Austin gone?" Rach asked smugly.  
Everyone laughed, except Kate. Who put her hands over her ears and muttered "I don't wanna hear this!" over and over again. . .

"Ha!" I retorted "The jokes on you, because we haven't gone very far. Making out and touching. . .thats all"  
"Disappointing. . ." Rach sighed.

We continued going through random truths and dares. Some dares were; Crack an egg on your head, put ice cubes down your shirt, wrap yourself in toliet paper, lick the bottom of your foot, smear peanut butter in your hair, drink hot sauce. . .and other horrendous things. . .

The truth consisted of; are you a virgin, how far have you gone, have you ever had a crush on someone younger then you, are you a lesbian, who's the hottest guy in our grade, if you had to kiss someone in this room who would it be. . .and other life scarring things like that.

Then, it was my turn again.  
I had gone with truth the last three turns and was getting sick of them.

So, I went with dare. . .I have a feeling I'll regret that.

"Okay. . ." Rach mused "I dare you to go up to Austin right now and start making out with him"  
"I hate you" I told her as I got up.

I left the room and went into Austin's room.  
But he wasn't there, so I walked back into Kate's room.

"That was quick" Dianna said.  
"He wasn't there" I told them.

"Oh, I think he's in the upstairs tv room watching some horror movie with some of our-our cousins" Kate informed me.  
"Son of a bitch" I cursed as I stalked out of the room.

I headed down the hall towards the tv room.  
Best to just get this over with.

I sighed, and opened the door.  
Austin, Domingo, Jupiter, Mars, and Diablo were all watching some movie, a horror by the looks of it.

Jupiter was laying on the floor, and Mars was sitting in a bean bag chair.  
Domingo and Diablo were both sitting on the couch. And Austin was reclining in a chair.

"Hey Becca" he said, surprised to see me "What's up?"  
Without answering I marched over to him, and kissed him smack on the lips for about 20 seconds. And then pulled away.

"What the fuck was that!?" Jupiter exclaimed.  
"Truth or dare is evil" I told him, as I headed for the door.

"What just happened?" Mars asked Austin.  
"I. . .don't. . .know" he muttered, seeming confused.

I stalked out of the room, and came back to Kate's.  
"So" Rach asked "How'd it go?"

"Horrible" I told her "Thanks for asking"

We played for a few more hours, doing more truths and less dares. Untill everyone was picking truth. To tired to preform dares. And then, slowly, we began losing people. Dianna was first. Then 20 minutes later we lost Hannah. Another hour passed before Rach fell asleep. By then we were just trading stories back and forth. Then, after a half an hour, Mandy slipped away. And then it was just me and Kate, as usual. I wonder if our immortality is the reason were always the last to fall asleep. . .

We muttered half-conversations for about 10 minutes, before I drifted asleep.  
I'm pretty sure Kate fell asleep at the exact same time.

* * *

**_Yea, Ik this chapter was kinda silly n crazy. But, hopefully, not 2 much. It was nessecary 4 their sleepover 2 b a lil strange. . .anyway, plz review! :)_**


	36. Dirty Little Secret

**_"Lies"_**

We woke up a little after eleven.  
And the whole morning passed in a blur of commotion.

We ate breakfest, watched tv, talked about last night. . .  
And then around one, everyone started going home.

Untill, it was just me, Kate, and Mandy. Watching MTV in the Kardigan's living room.  
And it wasn't until then, at three o'clock in the afternoon, that I noticed that I hadn't seen Austin all morning.

Maybe he's sleeping. . .nah, it's 3 o'clock theres no way he could sleep _that _much.  
Maybe he went out. . .no, it's too early. Austin's not a morning person. . . or an afternoon person. He's a night owl, just like me.

So, where could he be?

So, after Mandy went home and Kate was taking a shower (desperatly trying to remove chocolate syrup from her hair) I went looking for Austin.  
I tried his room, the basement, the tv rooms, kitchen, home office, family room. . .no Austin.

Then, I decided it would be smart to _ask _someone where he was. . .  
Actually, it would've been smart to do that first. . .

I found Jupiter on the computer in the upstairs tv room.  
"Hey, Becca" he called when I walked in, although he never looked up from the monitor.

"Hey Jupiter. . .have you seen Austin this morning?" I asked "I can't find him. . ."  
"Backyard" he told me absently.

"Oh, thanks" I said, leaving immediatly.  
I went downstairs and out the french glass doors.

It was sunny out, but breezy. Chilly too.  
It felt more like early October then November. November was usually bitterly cold and dry. An opening act to the undeniable cold and snowstorms of December.

The sun streamed down from the clear sky, but didn't provide much warmth.  
I was still bitterly cold in my sweatpants and sweatshirt.

I saw Austin laying in the grass towards the edge of the yard.  
He was wearing his black _'Northface' _jacket, and had a book in his hands.

A _book.  
Austin, _reading a book. . .woah.

I strode towards him, the neatly cut grass felt prickly against my feet.  
And the wind weaved through my hair, chilling the back of my neck.

"Well, good morning to you too" I said sarcastically as I approached him.  
He looked up from his book, "Oh, hey" he said.

I kneeled next to him in the grass, "So, what 'cha doing?" I asked.  
"Reading" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Why?" I asked, sounding semi-rude.  
"Some people read for fun Becca" he said sarcastically.

"Yea, _some _people do, you don't" I elaborated.  
"Are you calling me stupid?" he asked.

"No. . .I'm just saying you don't read" I said innocently.  
"Well, I am now" he defended himself.

"Yea, I guess" I mumbled ". . .So, what are ya reading?"  
"_The Scarlet Letter" _he told me.

"_The Scarlet Letter?' _Are you trying to impress me or something?" I asked suspiciously.  
"Uh, no" he said, rolling his eyes "I was bored. And decided to see what was so great about it, you know, since your always raving about it"

I scowled at him, but he barely noticed.  
I sighed dramatically, it was impossible to be mad at him.

"So, what chapter are you on?" I asked randomly.  
"I'm almost done" he told me absently "Just a few more pages"

"Oh. . .I think my favorite quote from that book has got to be _'But this had been a sin of passion, not of principle, nor even purpose.'_" I said, trying to make conversation.  
"Mhm. . .I think my favorite quote would have to be. . . ._'She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom'" _he told me.

"Oh, interesting. . .why is that?" I wondered.  
He shrugged, "I just understand what it means" he mumbled.

I was gonna press the issues, but instead let it drop.  
I didn't think he wanted to really talk about it. . .

"Yea, so do you like it?" I asked randomly.  
He shrugged, "Yea, it's alright I guess. . ."

"How can you not be in love with it!?" I demanded.  
"Because it's unhealthy to be in love with inanimate objects" he told me.

"A story isn't an inanimate object, it's a fantasy" I retorted.  
He shrugged, "It's still not healthy"

"Whatever" I muttered.  
He didn't respond, but instead kept reading.

I gazed into the forest while he read. There wasn't much sign of life. Animals were getting ready for hibernation, and birds were flying south.  
I didn't notice one bird, though. A lone black raven, perched in a tree. Cocking it's head to the side in wonder, gazing at me with a question in it's dark eyes.

I didn't really pay much attention to the bird though.  
I got distracted watching the rays of sunlight playing off Austin's hair.

A few minutes later, he abrutly shut the book.  
"Done" he announced.

"Wow, that was fast. How long have you been out here?" I wondered.  
"Around 6 in the morning. . .I couldn't sleep" he said with a shrug.

"Why not?" I wondered.  
"I just couldn't sleep" he said, oddly defensive.

"Okay then. . ." I said, noticing that this was another issue that shouldn't be pressed.  
"Well, I can't sit out here anymore" he said, rising to his feet. I followed.

Once inside, Austin vanished again. Off to do God's knows what.  
I, for one, just felt like relaxing. I contemplated going home, but then again, I felt more at home here.

So, I settled into the couch in the now empty upstairs tv room, and turned on an amusing reality tv show.  
And, quickly drifted asleep.

* * *

***_Austin's POV*_**

I was freaking out, completely losing it.  
I was losing whatever was left of my sanity over one little fact.

The Council meeting was tomorrow.

And just thinking about my head spin and my stomach ache.  
The mere thought would bang against my skull.

And, that's not just a metaphor.  
It was a physical ache, I could _feel _it. Pain would ripple through the center of my forehead every time my heart beat.

It was impossible to forget.  
Just like Council meeting, which was getting closer by the second.

The prospect haunted me, I had even lost sleep over it.  
I had been up all night thinking about it.

And finally, at 6 AM I hadn't been able to take it anymore. I couldn't just _sit _there, letting my mind reel.  
I had to do _something, _anything.

So, I had gone down to my father's infallible collection of books, and found one.  
_"The Scarlet Letter" _It was Becca's favorite book, so it seemed like a good choice.

I had gone out into the dim morning light, and read.  
It had proved a good distraction. The book had pulled me into the turmoils of Hester, and Arthur and Pearl. . .

And it made it easy to ignore the throbbing against my skull.  
Well, easier.

I found the book amusing, interesting even.  
And I had never considered a book either of those things. But, it couldn't keep my mind off things for long.

Once I finished, there was nothing to distract me from the throbbing. And, it had taken center stage in my mind once again.  
It made it altogether impossible to engage in conversation with Becca, I just had to leave.

At first, I disapeared into my room.  
Attempting to suffer and silence, and deal with it.

But, dealing was completely unpleasant. I sat on the floor, my head tilted back to rest against the wall. My nails dug into the wood floor, making little dents. I bit my lip hard, so hard that it drew blood. But, I didn't care about the pain that was caused by digging my fangs into my lip. As long as it kept me from screaming in pain and frustration.

Some people believe that emotions and memories can't effect you physically.  
Those people are so wrong. . .so very, very wrong.

Memories will haunt you, premonitions will frighten you, and emotions will break you.  
And together, they will drive you entirely insane.

So, I stayed in my room, trying to tolerate the pain.  
Unimaginable pain. . . caused by a thought. A worry. . .a maybe.

Because, maybe, the meeting would end badly. Maybe it would end with me scarred for life.  
Or maybe it would end with me reduced to tears.

Just like all the other meetings.

Ever since I was a child, I had been scared to death of the Council.  
The seven members were the most frightening people in the world.

Seven members to represent the seven houses, seven species.

Lupo of the House of the Wolves.  
Aurai of the House of the Nymphs.  
Cybele of the House of Dark Magic.  
Ladon of the House of Deception.  
Hamied of the House of Wish Granters.  
Analisa of the House of Blood Drinkers.  
And Fawn of the House of Ignorant Souls.

Or more simply:

Lupo the Werewolf.  
Aurai the Pixie.  
Cybele the Witch.  
Ladon the Shapeshifter.  
Hamied the Wish Granter.  
Analisa the Vampire.  
And Fawn the human.

And all these members are led by their King, Zephuros.  
He is, of course, a Vampire. The highest of all immortal beings.

Each of these members is terrifying in there own way, except for Fawn. The defenseless human, one of the few who know of our existence.  
Azimon law states that humans most always have some representation on the Council.

Mostly, there nice to me. But in an irritatingly patronizing way.  
They think I'm too young to really understand what's going on. Just because there all centuries old (except for Fawn) and I'm only seventeen.

The thing that annoys me the most about them is how they manipulate me.  
They want me on their side, they _need _me on their side. . .and they will do anything to accomplish that.

Being overly-manipulative, and patronizing is just one reason they drive me crazy.  
Also, because their always conducting some kind of experiment on me.

To see how far I can push the blue fire, and how it affects my brainwaves. Or seeing how hot a fire has to be before it burns my skin.  
Or seeing if my power reduces when I haven't fed for a week.

Or seeing how many painful experiments it takes before I start crying.

Because the Council is horrible, ruthless and inhumane.  
All they care about is keeping me alive, keeping me strong, keeping me on their side. Even if I lose my mind in the process.

Because, that's what I've been doing all day.  
Losing my mind.

I couldn't stay in my room any longer, letting the thoughts marinate in my head.  
I had to be doing something, distract myself.

So, I had come downstairs and went into the kitchen.  
The ache was still there, so I had my fangs digging into my lip to keep from screaming.

I went into the kitchen and had asked my mother if she needed help with anything.  
She wa shocked, to say the least, and had asked me to help her with dinner.

But, since I don't know anything about cooking, my mom had me bringing her things and setting the table and such. . .  
Absent minded work.

Not something I could focus on, entertain my mind with.  
So, as I was getting milk out of the fridge, I thought about everything I had done today. Hopeing to distract myself.

No such luck.

I handed my mom the milk, apathetically.  
"Thanks honey" she said, smiling.

"Welcome" I muttered dryly.  
"I don't need any more help" she told me, pouring milk into a bowl of something "You can go relax now"

I suppressed a groan.  
Why is it so hard to find busy work when you actually want it?

I stalked unhappily into the living room, and plopped down on the couch.  
And pressed my fingers to my forehead, trying to make the pain stop.

Becca and Tora were in the living room too.  
Practicing magic, they had to make up for the last few days she had missed.

They were still working on the elements, darkness now.  
I didn't really pay attention to any of the instruction.

I was to busy suppressing the urge to ask Becca to use her magic to make me sleep.  
That way I wouldn't be able to worry, or feel the pain.

But, that would give it away that something was wrong.  
And, I didn't need to worry her. Or let her know how horrible the Council was.

Because I had lied to her.

I told her the burn on my wrist was an accident. That's a lie.  
I did it on purpose.

Because they made me.

They wanted to see how 'invincble' I was to fire.  
The results showed I was pretty immune, put when temperatures reached 3000 degrees Farenheight, my skin burned.

But, I couldn't let Becca know.  
She would be angry, I knew that for a fact. Because, if the situation were reversed, I'd be furious.

She would be mad that the Council would do that to me, and insist on coming to the Council meeting with me to keep it from happening again.  
And that would spell disaster.

Because then she would find out who I really was.


	37. Mockingbird

_I apologize deeply 4 the cliffhanger. . . according 2 reviews it seemed 2 irritate a lot of ppl. . .but hey, the suspense makes it better wen u finally find out. U shud either find out in this chapter, or the next 1. . . idk. . . anyway, back 2 **Becca's POV. **_

**_"Mysteries" _**

I fumbled blindly for my alarm clock. At last, I hit the 'snooze' button.  
I think the alarm clock should be smart enough to know I have no school today. And, therefore, do not want to wake up at seven.

But, it's too late now. I'm already awake. And besides, I should go see Austin before he leaves for the Council meeting.  
He was freaking out yesterday, pacing around like a caged animal.

Kate said it was because he's nervous about the Council meeting.  
He always paces and does busy work when he's nervous.

I had asked why he was so nervous about it, but she had just muttered a vague answer.  
I didn't press it, Austin and Kate had both been acting strange yesterday.

I knew Austin was leaving around eight, so I would have to hurry.  
I sprung up out of bed, untangling myself from the clingy sheets.

I stumbled over to my closet, rubbing sleep from my eyes.  
I threw open the double doors, and switched on the closet light.

I yanked a pair of dark jeans, and a thin black t-shirt off the hangers.  
Then I pulled a thick grey sweatshirt off another hanger. I layed them down on my un-made bed, and then got dressed.

I went over to the mirror and did my eye-liner and mascara.  
I pulled a brush through my hair a few times, trying to separate the knots.

Then I rushed over to the bathroom, and brushed my teeth speedily.  
Once I was done, I ran back to my room and shoved my feet in a pair of running shoes.

Then I rushed down the stairs, to find the kitchen empty.  
Jake and Ken were probably sleeping and my parents were at work. My dad's school didn't have off today, sucks for them.

I wasn't surprised to find a tray of chocolate chip muffins on the counter.  
Like I said, my mom's biggest fear is that someone in this household will starve.

I snatched a muffin off the counter and headed for the door. Outside, Stanley was playing in the yard.  
Chasing some poor defenseless squirrel up a tree. Honestly, what does he plan to do if he ever managed to catch the poor thing.

I headed down the pathway to our house and down the street.  
It was pretty early, so I didn't see many people on my way.

It was a perfect day out, the sky was cloudless. A perfect light blue, with a brilliant sun rising in the east.  
It was chilly, but my thick sweatshirt kept me warm.

From down the street I could see a sleek black limo parked in front of the Kardigan's house.  
Hmmmm, classy.

I quickened my pace to see what the deal was with the limo.  
When I reached the house I saw several men heading towards the limo.

There were three of them. The one in the middle was Austin. He was wearing a black suit, and I had _never _seen him wear a suit before. And I have to admit, he looked especially hot. He was flanked on either side by two guys in black suits and sunglasses. I noticed one as Domingo, wearing an extremely serious expression, even for him. The other guy I didn't recognize, but he was just as tan and muscular as Domingo. His expression was just as serious as Domingo's too.

"Hey Austin!" I called, cutting across the yard.  
The other man flinched forward at the sound of my voice. But, Austin put his arm up to block him.

"It's just my girlfriend, Lykaios" Austin told him.  
Lykaios relaxed, but his focused expression stayed intact.

Austin approached me, and Lykaios and Domingo hung back. Domingo's eyes stayed on Austin and I. But Lykaios' eyes scanned the perimeter.  
Austin came up to me, and kissed me hello.

His messy hair and darting eyes took away from the sophisticated-ness the suit added.  
But he still looked ridicuously hot.

"What's with the limo?" I asked.  
"The Council sent it" he muttered darkly "Along with Lykaios. . ."

"And he would be?" I wondered.  
"My other bodyguard" Austin mumbled.

"Oh, okay. . ." I said ". . . . I like the suit"  
He rolled his eyes, "My mom made me wear it" he told me.

"Ahh. . .now it makes more sense" I mused.  
"Yea, well I gotta go" he told me remorsely.

"When will you be back?" I wondered.  
"I don't have a clue" he told me, shrugging.

"You know I hate vague answers" I muttered.  
He smirked a little, "I know you do"

"You, my darling, should learn when to keep your mouth shut" I said sweetly.  
"And you, my darling, _suck" _he teased.

I laughed, and shoved him playfully. "Don't you have a meeting to go to?" I asked.  
"Yea, I do" he said sullenly "I'll see you tonight"

"Okay, I'll see you then" I said, kissing him goodbye.  
"Kay, love you" he told me.

"Love you too" I called as he headed for the limo.  
He got in, followed by his bodyguards.

Then the limo drove down the road, leaving me alone in the yard.  
I sighed dramatically, even though nobody was around to sympathize.

I wanted to go so badly, to see this infamous Council.  
And find out why Austin was so nervous to go see them.

Wait a minute. . .  
I _can _go. Hello? Blood Bound . . . Telepathy, remember?

It would piss Austin off, but I really needed to see this for myself.  
I was getting a weird feeling about this meeting, and I _was _a witch. . .for all I know I _could _be physic.

First, I needed to go find a private place where I could slip into a trance.  
Hmmmmm. . . I know the perfect place.

I slithered around the side of the house, into the backyard.  
Then, I used the wind spell.

I focused on the refreshing breath of wind for a few minutes. As my training progressed, I found it easier to summon the elements.  
I only needed to think about the element for a brief moment, instead of the intense visualisation I needed before.

The wind began to blow around me, lifting my hair high above my head.  
I let a small smile play around my lips.

Then I let the wind slide under my feet, lifting me several inches above the ground.  
Grinning, I began to run into the woods.

I ran through the bright woods, as sunlight streamed down through the leafless trees.  
I weaved through the bare trees, trying to find my way. It looked so different in the daylight, that it was unrecognizable.

But, somehow, I found my way.  
I broke through the trees into the clearing with the pond.

The pearlie pond sparkled in the sunlight. The overgrown grass glittered with morning dew. A few dried out, dead leaves clung to the mostly bare trees.  
That same damned raven was perched in a nearby tree.

"You again?" I groaned.  
It cocked it's head to the side and cawed at me.

"Did you forget how to migrate?" I asked the bird "Do you not remember which way is south? Well, I'll give you a hint. It's that way"  
I sharply pointed south, and the bird just stared at me.

"Go" I urged "C'mon, fly away birdie. . .go, I need to concentrate"  
The bird tilted it's head at me.

I sighed, "Okay, now I'm talking to a bird . . . whatever, fine, you can stay. But you gotta be quiet."  
The bird cawed at me, and I took it as a yes.

I walked over to the edge of the pond, and sat down.  
I leaned back on the wet grass, if I was gonna be lost in a trance, I might as well be comfortable.

Then, I reached out towards Austin's mind. It was extremely easy now.  
And I slipped into his head.

* * *

_Austin was in the limo, leaning back onto the leather seats.  
On either side of him was Domingo and Lykaios, staring forward blankly. _

_Austin was anxious, he wanted to get there and get it over with.  
He nervously ran a hand through his tussled hair. _

_As the ride progressed, Austin bit his lip absently.  
He was refusing to think of the Council meeting, afraid he'd sike himself out. _

_Like if you think about a scary rollercoaster before you go on.  
Your gonna panic, and sike yourself out. _

_So, he just stared blankly around the large space.  
Focusing on little things to distract himself. _

_Austin knew when they arrived at Hades, they had to go through a secret tunnel.  
There was no way of seeing how inside the tinted windows of the limo. _

_Then they continued driving through the streets of Hades.  
Which, was mostly vacant of modern transportation, although from inside you couldn't tell. _

_Then the limo came to a halt.  
"Finally" Austin moaned. _

_"I didn't realize you were so excited for the meeting" Domingo said, bemused.  
"I'm not. . .I'm excited to get it over with" Austin hissed. _

_The door opened, revealing a man in a suit, probably the driver.  
The man stepped aside, and Austin and his bodyguards slid out. _

_Once they emerged they were on the white granite steps of a large building. Each step was wide, spreading about 50 feet. There were about 20 steps, leading to a building that looked similar to the Parthenon. Complete with intricate columns. There were tons of people crowding the stairs, waiting. They were all snapping pictures. _

_Bright flashing lights shined in Austin's eyes, temporarily blinding him.  
He blinked rapidly, trying to regain his sight. _

_People were shouting loudly.  
Calling his name, trying to get his attention. _

_"Austeralgo!"  
"Hey, Austeralgo, over here!"  
"Austeralgo, Austeralgo, hey look over here!" _

"Parasites" _Austin thought venomously.  
Domingo and Lykaios pushed past the crowds of paparazzi. Along with Austin, they headed up the stairs. Pushing past paparazzi._

_"Austeralgo! Austeralgo! 'Ey look over here!"  
"Hey, smile for the camera Austeralgo" _

"Leave me alone" _Austin muttered darkly.  
None of the paparazzi seemed to hear him. _

_Eventually they reached the large white front doors.  
They pushed them open, and stepped inside. Shutting the doors in the parasites faces._

_They stepped in a spacious porcelain lobby. The granite floors were bleached white. The wooden white walls had intricate carvings in them. Depicting people, that had the sense of gods. There was a white pristine desk in the corner with a young woman sitting at it. She had sleek short black hair, and pale skin. She had thin black glasses perched on her face. Her dark eyes looked up when she heard them come in. _

_"Hello, Austeralgo" she gushed "It's a pleasure to have you here"  
Austin nodded stiffly, he didn't want to fall into their patronizing trap. _

_She pushed away from her desk, and walked over to a set of double doors at the end of the room.  
She pushed the door open, and gestured for them to enter. _

_"The Council has been waiting for you" she told them.  
Grimly, Austin headed for the doors. Domingo and Lykaios followed behind him. _

_Austin stalked into the room, nodding at the woman as he passed.  
He braced himself upon entering. _

_It was like a giant, Greek conference room. The walls and floors were identical to the lobby. There was a ridiculously long white table stretching down the middle of the room. Elegant white chairs were placed around the table. All of the seats were taken accept one. There was an array of people there. Austin recognized all of them from the past. _

_Analisa, who represented the vampires, had long sleek black hair. It reached down to her waist, and her skin was like porcelain. She had amber eyes and had a certain poise about her.  
Lupo, the werewolf representation, was a man who appeared about 30. He was tan and had buzz cut of dark hair. He had an intimidatingly serious expression.  
Aurai, the pixie, was tiny and petite. She had a creamy complexion and spikey black hair. Her green eyes were bright and she seemed excited.  
Ladon, the shapeshifter, was a huge guy. He looked about 30 and completely jacked under the suit. His skin was tan and his brown eyes bore into Austin.  
Hamied was the representation of the wish granters. (Known as a fairy or genie to a human.) Actually, the wish granters didn't have wings or float. And they didn't grant 3 wishes. All they did was use hypnotization to pull mortals into a state of mind where they think all there dreams have come true. Hamied had pale skin and bright red hair. His blue eyes were on Austin.  
Cybele, the witch, appeared to be in her late 20's, and was graceful even in stillness. She had long curly black hair. She was mildly tan and very skinny. Her composed purple eyes followed Austin.  
Then there was Fawn, the human. She looked around 30. She had creamy skin and fluffy blonde hair. Her grey eyes were wide with curiosity. _

_There were a few others present besides the Council.  
There was Dr. Nicodemus. The most regarded scientist in the Azimon. He had pale skin and contrastingly dark hair. His dark eyes were narrowed in concentration.  
Then there was Dr. Nova, a young professor at Hades University. She had mousy brown hair and creamy skin. Her blue eyes were wide in fascination.  
Lastly, there was General Odysseus. A violent, cruel General. His dark hair and eyes matched his dark personality. Austin hated him with a passion. He refused to dwell on why, however._

_At the head of the table was a sophisticated powerful looking man. He had chalky white skin, and had a blonde buzz cut. He looked in his late 30, with chiseled strong features.  
He was none other then King Zephuros. _

_The empty seat was on his right hand.  
He was smiling at Austin, acceptingly. But, it gave Austin chills. _

_"Austeralgo" he said in a deep rich voice "It's been so long"  
Austin nodded silently, he felt sick now. _

_Slowly, he walked over to the empty chair.  
Self-conscience of the eyes following him. _

_He sat down, and touched his fingers to his temple. His head was killing him.  
Domingo and Lykaios leaned against the wall, watching silently. _

_"Austeralgo" the king boomed "It's a joy to see you here today. We've been looking for you for ages. Where have you been?"  
"I live in Cold Springs" Austin muttered. _

_The king laughed, "How terribly ironic. We've scoured the planet for you, and you've been living 30 miles from here. Clever. . ."  
Austin shrugged, "I guess" _

_"Your awfully quiet Austeralgo" the king noted "Are you alright? We heard about your accident . . .how's your hand?"  
Austin glanced down at his bandaged hand. He was suddenly self-consciences of his scars and bite marks. _

_"It's fine . . . I'm fine. I'm just tired" he said dismissively.  
"Well, it seems the Arthasians caused some damage when they kidnapped you" the king observed "What exactly happened in Arthasian?" _

_Everyone present leaned forward to hear what he had to say.  
They were all interested in hearing his story. _

_"Well" he sighed "They kidnapped me after I fell and bashed my head on the floor"  
General Odysseus snorted. _

_Austin turned his metallic glare on him. Anger filled him, replacing the sickness and fatigue.  
He bared his teeth. He could feel his fangs extending in his anger. _

_Odysseus didn't seem impressed.  
He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes dramatically. _

_The king placed a soothing hand on Austin's shoulder.  
Austin flinched at the physical contact. _

_"You remember General Odysseus, don't you Austeralgo?" the king asked pleasantly.  
Austin paused for a moment. Concentrating on not lunging across the table at Odysseus. _

_"You may not remember me" Odysseus sneered "You were only a baby when we met"  
"I remember" Austin hissed "How could I forget?" _

_The General smirked nastily at that.  
Austin dug his fangs into his lip to keep from growling. _

_He would always remember meeting Odysseus. _

_*******_

At only 4 years of age, clinging to his mother's side. Completely petrified of the intimidating General the scary Council had introduced him to in this same room.  
The General had been watching him with distasteful scrutiny.

"_This _is the legendary killer we've been waiting for?" he asked in shock and disgust.  
"He's only a child" had hissed in her son's defense.

"He doesn't look at all frightening to me" the general had continued.  
"I assure you Odysseus" the king said "He is quite powerful, already"

"How powerful?" the General challenged.  
"He could kill you" snarled defensively "Even at his age, he could kill you"

Odysseus raised an eyebrow mockingly, "Well, let's see this 'amazing power'"  
"Yes, lets" retorted haughtily.

Then she turned her head to look at Austin.  
She smiled sweetly.

"Now honey" she cooed "Can you do Mommy a favor? See that plant over there? Can you make it catch on fire . . . for me?"  
General Odysseus snorted at her endearment.

Austin had been confused, but had done what his mom asked.  
He concentrated on the plant, as much as a toddler could concentrate. At that age, the fire had mostly happened when he wasn't trying.

But he tried especially hard, trying to make his mom happy.  
He used an amazing amount of focus for a child.

And suddenly the large potted plant burst into blue flames.  
And was quickly reduced to ashes.

The General looked shocked and impressed for a moment.  
But quickly hid it with scorn and disdain.

"Interesting. . .he could probably hurt himself with that though" the general sneered.  
"He's immune to fire" jumped in "It doesn't burn him"

The General smiled dangerously.  
"Let's test that" he hissed scornfully.

He whispered something ultra-quiet in the king's ear.  
The king mulled over Odysseus' suggestion for a moment before saying, "Alright"

Grinning devilishly, the General had snatched Austin from his mother's arms.  
Austin had not liked that at all. He screamed and thrashed. He wanted the creepy man to put him down.

"Put me down!!!" he wailed, struggling.  
was not pleased either.

"Give me back my baby!" she screeched, as several guards held her back.  
She struggled against them, but they grabbed her wrists and pulled her away.

Then Austin saw Domingo. He looked exactly the same.  
Only his expression was uncharacteristically frazzled.

"Sir" he said, panicking "I don't think this is a good idea"  
"This doesn't concern you, Domingo" Odysseus sneered.

"He could get hurt" Domingo insisted, following the general.  
"That's enough!" Odysseus snarled "Get out of my sight!"

And then he slapped Domingo, hard across the face. In his other arm, Austin had gone completely still in shock.  
Domingo looked completely stunned.

Grinning, the General took Austin to a strange room.  
It was sterile and white. Like a laboratory.

There had been computers and odd machines. They were lined in front of a glass.  
It showed into an empty white room.

The general had opened the door to the empty room.  
Then he placed Austin on the floor, and left, closing the door behind him.

Austin was confused and scared. He didn't understand what was going on.  
He looked up, and saw people peering in at him from the window.

A voice came from a speaker somewhere, it was Odysseus' voice.  
"Now, Austeralgo" he said "We want you do something for us. Put the fire on your skin"

Scared and confused, Austin had listened.  
He knew the fire couldn't hurt him. . .

He placed his hand on his other wrist.  
Then he focused on creating blue fire. His little hand glowed blue. But he felt nothing.

"Make it as hot as you can" the general ordered.  
Austin concentrated on making it hotter. His whole hand was on fire now.

"2989 degrees" a voice had said though the speakers.  
"Hotter" the generals voice commanded.

Austin struggled to make it hotter, but managed.  
"3000 degrees!" the other voice proclaimed in awe.

Then, it started to hurt.  
First it was just a prick. Like a bee sting.

And then it got worse and worse, until his wrist felt like it was on fire.  
It was _burning. _His wrist was burning.

He screamed, and let go of his wrist immediately, and turned off the fire.  
Then the doors had burst open. The king, and some of the scientists had burst in.

Austin began to cry. Wailing loudly.  
He sobbed and cried.

and Domingo burst into the small room.  
Where everybody was fussing over Austin. Examining his wrist.

and Domingo shoved their way towards Austin.  
knelt next to Austin, gathering him in her arms.

She cradled him to her chest, and he continued to cry.  
She looked at the his wrist. Looking at the bright blue scar forming on his wrist.

"Look what you did!" she roared in fury "You made him burn himself!"

* * *

I was snapped out of Austin's memory by my unbelievable anger.  
Those fucked up bastards!

They made him burn himself!  
_On purpose! _

Austin had lied to me, he told me it was an accident.  
This cruel and inhumane Council had allowed him to hurt himself! The sick bastard of a General had suggested it.

I screamed in wordless rage, the raven cawed and flew away, spooked.  
Furious, I threw my fist into the rock next top me. All it did was hurt my hand, but it made me feel slightly better.

I calmed my breathing, I had to calm down.  
I had to get back in Austin's head and make sure they didn't try anything like that again.

I breathed deeply.  
And slid back into Austin's head.

* * *

_Austin was in the middle of his story.  
"And Princess Aurora decided to amuse herself by drinking my blood" Austin continued, unhappily. He hadn't wanted to bring this part up. _

_He gave everyone a glare, daring them to comment.  
Even the haughty general wasn't stupid enough to say anything. _

_"So, to regain strength, I had to drink my girlfriend's blood. Well, she wasn't my girlfriend at the time . . . " Austin trailed off.  
The general rolled his eyes, "Were not interested in teenage drama, just get on with the story" _

_"I don't remember asking for your opinion" Austin hissed.  
Aurai interrupted, "So, what happened after that Prince Austeralgo?" she chirped. _

"WHAT!?!?!!?!?" _I thought in shock, blowing my cover.  
_"Becca!? What are you doing in my head!?" _he demanded in thought. _

"What does she mean prince!?" _I demanded, ignoring his question.  
_"I-uh-ummmmm" _he stuttered even in his mind _"I can't talk about it right now. . .we can talk about it later"

_Then he pushed me out of his head._

* * *

Damn him!

We need to talk about this right now!  
What the fuck is going on???

Why did Aurai call Austin 'prince?'  
I _need _to know!

I shifted into a sitting position and groaned in frustration.  
A loud caw made me jump out of my skin.

I looked for the source of the sound.  
And found the raven sitting in the tree a few feet from me.

Somehow, I knew it was a raven and not a crow.  
It's feathers were too shiny and it's eyes too intelligent to be a crow.

"Are you like a stalker bird or something?" I demanded.  
The bird fluttered down from it's perch. It walked across the grass towards me.

It stood next to me, looking up at me with dark wondering eyes.  
Experimentally, I placed my arm next to the bird.

It hopped on to my wrist, thanks to my thick sweatshirt it's talons didn't hurt my skin.  
I lifted my wrist towards my face, so I could look more closely at the strange bird.

"What am I doing?" I asked aloud "For all I know you could be carying diseases!"  
The bird cocked it's head to the side.

"Okay maybe thats a little melodramatic" I allowed "But, it's still weird for me to randomly pick up birds in the woods"  
The bird almost seemed like he was listening.

"I'm usually not this outdoorsy either" I continued "You know, hanging out in the woods all day. . .talking to birds."  
The bird did that birdie nod thing.

I laughed a little, "You know, your not so bad. . . I feel like your someone I could talk to. . . is that crazy?"  
The bird cawed at me, although not painfully loud like before.

"I thought so" I mumbled, stroking the bird's soft silky feathers.  
It wasn't rough or dirty like I expected. It didn't seem like the feathers of a wild animal.

"Sorry I called you a stalker bird" I apologized absently "Maybe your just lonely. . .you know, you wouldn't be so lonely if you just flew south like all the other birds"  
I swear to God, the bird rolled his eyes at me.

"Your a real character you know" I told the bird.  
The raven squawked at me.

"I think I'll call you. . . Raven" I decided "I know it's not really original . . . but it's better then just calling you 'bird' isn't it?"  
Raven seemed to be in agreement.

"Good. . .so, I was just wondering why you've been following _me"_ I told him "Is it because I'm a witch? That would make sense. . .aren't they supposed to be really in touch with nature?"  
Raven cawed at me.

"I guess you wouldn't know, would you?" I mumbled.  
Raven flapped his wings at me.

"That's what I thought" I muttered "I bet I sound crazy right now. . .talking to a bird. It's just that my boyfriend, Austin (you've seen him before) kicked me out of his head. You see, we're Blood Bound. Now, don't ask what it means 'cause I haven't got a clue. But, the gist of it is that we can read each others minds. . .pretty cool huh? Well, anyway, he's at a big meeting today and I wanted to see what was going on. So, I just popped into his head for a visit. But, I found out that's he's some kind of prince. I know, I couldn't believe it either. So, he found out I was spying on him, and kicked me out. So, now I'll have to wait for him to come home to find out. . . . . . . what's wrong Raven?"

Raven's little eyes got wide and his head swiveled around to scan the woods.  
He seemed spooked. He flapped his wings and flew away in the opposite direction.

"Bye Raven" I mumbled.  
But, ten seconds later he came back.

He began to fly around me, pulling at my hair. Pecking me.  
Squawking unhappily.

I jumped up, and swatted at the air around me.  
"Raven, what are you doing!? Raven, cut it out!" I said.

He flew into the woods again, and then came back.  
He did this two more times.

"What do you want?" I demanded "Do you want me to follow you or something"  
He cawed urgently at me.

"Ugh, okay. . ." I mumbled, summoning wind.  
Soon I was hovering in the air.

Then Raven began flying into the woods again.  
I ran after him, following him as he weaved through trees.

"This is crazy!" I exclaimed "I'm following a bird. I have officially lost my mind"  
Raven didn't respond, he just kept flying.

I had no idea where we were going, all I knew was that we were getting deeper and deeper in the woods.  
"If you get me lost so help me God. . ." I threatened.

He began flying faster, more urgently.  
I quickened my pace to keep up with him.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear footsteps.  
Very light, very quick footsteps. They had me panicking. So, I pushed myself to run faster.

Then, suddenly, I lost Raven.  
I didn't see him anywhere.

And the approaching footsteps were getting closer, louder.  
Who are they? What's going on??

Then, suddenly, the dirt under me crumbled.  
I was falling, and I screamed in alarm.

I fell into some kind of dark hole.  
It seemed almost 20 feet deep. Since the opening seemed a little less then 10 feet above my head.

A hand clamped down over my mouth.  
"Shhhh" a deep voice whispered "They'll hear you"

My instincts told me not to fight this person.  
I didn't even bother struggling.

I looked up at the opening.  
The footsteps I heard before were even louder.

Then, I saw several people leap rapidly and gracefully over the hole.  
From this angle, I couldn't make out what they looked like at all.

Then the footsteps faded into silence.  
Until I could no longer hear them anymore.

"Okay, we're safe for now" the deep voice said, removing his hand from my mouth.  
I spun around to face the person.

It was a guy, a few years older then me. The light shining down from above allowed me to see him. His skin was ashen, extremely pale. He had short silky black hair. His chalky features were perfect and angular. He was tall, perhaps a little over 6 foot. He was wearing all black. Black pants and a black long sleeved shirt. He had intricate tattoos on his face. In the center of his forehead there was a tattoo of a black bird. It was a view from above the bird. It's wing's were spread out. Sprouting from the edge of both wings were thin spiraly lines. They twisted down under his eyes. They went over the top of his nose and connected in between his eyes. Sprouting from the two lines were little black feathers.

"Raven?" I gasped.


	38. Running Away

_**"Shadow Slayers"**_

"Well, that's not my name. . . but, yes" he said.  
"Your a shape shifter aren't you!" I exclaimed.

"Yes" he told me simply.  
"Why have you been watching me? What's going on? Who were those people?" I demanded.

"One at a time please" he said quietly.  
"Who were those people?" I decided.

"I don't know who. . .but I do know what" he said.  
"Vague much?" I asked.

"They call themselves Shadow Slayers. . .but these ones were more like assassins" he said, his handsome face was full of disgust.  
"Elaborate please" I said.

He sighed, "They're humans who hunt immortals. Most believe that all immortals are children of Satan and must be destroyed. But there are some, who are more like hired hit-men. They say immortals are the root of all evil, yet they work for them. By exterminating their enemies for money. Damn hypocrites. . ."

"So. . .what your saying is, that someone has hired an assasin to kill _me?" _I squeaked in shock.  
He nodded grimly.

"But why?" I cried "Why would someone want to kill me!?"  
"We don't know" he told me stiffly "It's my job to find out, though"

"Exactly who are you?" I asked.  
"Raziel" he told me.

"Raziel? Isn't that some kind of angel?" I asked.  
He allowed a thin smile, "Yes, actually that's who my parent's named me after. You see, I'm one of the Dark Keepers."

"I've known I was a witch for like a week. . .so your gonna have to break it down for me" I told him.  
"Dark Keepers are immortals that have a duty to protect innocents from Shadow Slayers. We're born with different emblems on our skin" he explained pointing to his tattoos.

"But why are you here?" I asked "How did you know they were after me?"  
"A pixie was murdered in the next town over. I was sent here to investigate" he elaborated "I was supposed to check on all immortals in the area. I found you; and found traces of Shadow Slayers in the woods around here. I had a feeling they were after you. . . so I kept an eye on you. And, now, I know for sure"

"But, why are they after me!?" I demanded.  
"I don't know" Raziel said grimly.

"Real helpful. . ." I muttered.  
"We have to leave now" he told me randomly.

"Why?" I asked "What's going on?"  
"They're still in the woods. . .still looking for you" he said "We can't stay in one place for long"

"Okay" I muttered unsteadily.  
I summoned wind and lifted myself out of the hole.

Then, I relinquished wind, and stood next to the hole.  
A second later, Raziel leaped out of the hole in a fluid motion. He landed silently on the ground.

"Where are we going?" I asked quietly.  
"Away from here" he said bleakly "Just follow me"

I summoned wind (again) and pushed it under my feet.  
Once I was floating, he began to run deeper into the woods. I followed after him the best I could.

We were getting deeper and deeper into the woods.  
There was no way I would be able to find my way back alone.

Raziel was _fast_, really fast. Even faster then Austin.  
I was struggling to keep up with him.

He was reaching amazing speeds, and still managed to avoid the trees and rocks and thorns.  
We were going up hill, but it didn't slow him down. And it didn't slow me down because my feet didn't touch the ground. Uphill was the same as downhill.

We ran for about a half an hour.  
I was starting to get worried. Where were we going?

Suddenly, Raziel stopped. We were at some very high altitude, I could tell.  
His dark eyes raked over the surroundings. He sniffed the air experimentally.

Then he stalked up the mountain a little more, and jumped onto a large boulder, that was at the very top.  
I followed him, and jumped up too.

We were looking down into what appeared to be a canyon.  
Actually, the bottom of this 'canyon' was actually the normal ground. We were just extremely high up.

I could see everything from up here.  
I saw trees, and rivers and ponds. But I didn't see a single house.

Then, I heard a faint sound.  
Like someone stepping on a branch.

Raziel's head spun around. His entire face became more alert.  
"It's them" he hissed, leaping off the rock.

"Don't move" he ordered.  
He crouched protectivly in front of the rock. From his pocket he extracted a knife.

It was a very pretty weapon at least. The wooden handle was painted a glossy black. It had intricate carvings on it, they seemed distinctly like birds.  
The blade was extremely sharp and shiny. The sunlight reflected off it.

Then, the Shadow Slayers came through the trees.

There was 5 of them. They were dressed in red. Not black like I would expect assassins to dress. They all had scarlet skin tight shirts, and matching slacks. Wrapped around their faces were red scarves. They obstructed their nose and mouths. All that was visible was there eyes.

They all had different weapons. Knives, clubs, swords. . .  
But there wasn't a single gun. I could guess why. . .

They stalked forward, towards Raziel.  
Who was horribly outnumbered.

A large man with dark hair and narrow eyes lunged for Raziel first.  
He had a knife, about the same size as Raziel's. But, not nearly as decorative.

Three of the others quickly joined.  
They grappled intensely.

Raziel was clearly stronger and faster.  
But he was outnumbered. Four against one.

Raziel was holding up well, though.  
He clearly knew what he was doing.

I cringed when his knife plunged into one of the slayer's arms.  
It was not pleasent to watch him pull the knife out, either. Or as the injured man crumbled to the ground.

My eyes were tore from the fight when I saw someone approach me.  
One of the Shadow Slayers was stalking towards me.

It was a girl, I could tell by her skinny willowy form. And also by her long bleach blonde hair.  
She was tan and had big brown puppy dog eyes.

In her upraised hand was a knife.  
She hopped on to the rock I was standing on.

I backed up towards the edge of the rock.  
Until my back foot was just about to fall off the edge of the cliff.

She stalked towards me.  
Oh my God, I'm gonna die.

The girl swung the knife at me, but my reflexes were faster and I ducked.  
Immediately, I swung my fist out, punching her in the jaw.

She may have a knife, but there was no way I was going down without a fight.  
Besides, I'm the immortal here.

She stumbled back from the blow, but quickly came back for more.  
She wasn't as weak and uncoordinated as Tasha, and rapidly swung the blade at me.

It grazed my arm, but my super thick sweatshirt kept it from breaking the skin.  
Oh, how I love this sweatshirt. . .

Furious, she moved with quickness I didn't think humans possessed.  
She placed her blade against my neck, ready to slit my throat.

"Jump!" Raziel screamed at me.  
My wide frightened eyes found Raziel.

He was in the middle of an intense conflict with two Shadow Slayers.  
The other two were on the ground near him.

"Jump, _now!" _he shouted.  
I gulped, and felt a tear roll down my cheek.

Then I backed up one more step.  
And then I was falling.

I was plummeting down, in the mid air.  
I screamed as I was falling.

I was too scared to conjure wind.  
Or maybe too stupid.

I crashed into the densely packed trees.  
Falling through the prickly branches.

Until finally hitting the ground.

I was, amazingly, still alive.  
Everything hurt, but I wasn't dead.

Thank God for my half-immortalness.

I lay in the brush for a moment, trying to slow my accelerated breathing.  
I was panicking. Freaking out. I was lost in the woods, I was hurt, and Shadow Slayers were coming after me.

I had to get out of here, I had to hide.

I pushed myself onto my hands and knees, and then unsteadily to my feet.  
Head spinning like a tilta-wurl, I scanned the woods around me.

I didn't see anything that would make a decent hiding place.  
So I stumbled deeper into the woods, seeking refuge.

Until, I finally found a large boulder, the earth under it was dug out. Creating a small burrow.  
I made my way towards it and slithered under.

The rock was just above my head, but I could fit my whole body under it.  
I peeked out cautiously.

Where was Raziel?  
Oh my God, what if they killed him!? I would never be able to live with myself. Knowing that he got killed when all they really wanted was me.

Oh God, please let him be alright.

And what if he was alive, but hurt? What if they left him there, bleeding and hurt.  
And came to look for me.

What do I do???  
Oh my God, what am I gonna do!?

For now, I just have to stay here.  
Not move, not give away my cover.

After laying there for over an hour, I began to drift asleep.  
My head was spinning, my legs were sore, I was bleeding. . .I just wanted to sleep. . .

But then I heard footsteps.

Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.  
I gotta get out of here, _right now._

I scrambled out of my shelter, and got to my feet.  
I didn't have the time to summon wind, so I just started to run.

The Shadow Slayers were just humans, they couldn't run faster then me.  
Witches may not be very fast by nature, but we're a _little_ faster then humans on our own.

I ran through the woods, stumbling over roots and such the entire time.  
The footsteps behind me were getting closer.

Holy crap! How could humans run this fast!?  
They can't. . .they can't run that fast.

Then, I tripped over a root and fell.  
I put my hands out to catch my fall, but it still hurt.

The footsteps had gotten even closer, and then stopped.  
They were here, they had found me.

Well, I'm not going down without a fight.  
I have my magic. Fire, wind, darkness, sleep, blood. . .they could all be useful in a fight.

I opened my eyes, and someone was standing above me.  
I screamed, startled.

Then, I realized who it was.

"Raziel?" I gasped.  
Raziel was standing above me. He had a cut on his cheek, blood was slowly trickling from it. There was some blood on his sleeves too. His eyes were confused.

"Rebecca, why did you run from me?" he asked.  
"I thought you were a Shadow Slayer" I panted.

He extended a hand to help me up, and I took it.  
He pulled me to my feet, and steadied me when I almost fell.

"Two of them are dead" he told me grimly "The other three got away"  
"Oh" I breathed "Well, I'm just glad your okay"

"I'm fine. . .what about you? That was quiet a nasty fall" he observed.  
"It wasn't so much a fall as a jump" I muttered.

"Well, you were better off jumping. I knew that if I lost, jumping would at least save you. The Shadow Slayers are mortals, they would never survive a jump like that" he said.  
"Oh. . .well, thank you. For saving me, you know" I mumbled awkwardly.

"It's my job" he said, shrugging "Now, let's go. We have to keep moving"  
"Can't you just take me back to the Kardigan's?" I begged.

"Soon. . .first, the Shadow Slayers have to lose our trail" he told me.  
"And how do we make them do that?" I asked.

"Just follow me" he instructed.  
I groaned, "Okay. . ."

He began running deeper into the woods.  
Although, he wasn't running nearly as fast as before. My guess was so that I could keep up.

I followed him, running as fast as I could manage.  
I was gonna conjure wind, but it would take too much energy. And I really needed to conserve some energy now.

I followed Raziel to a brook.  
The water was running quickly.

"This is the only way they'll lose our trail" he told me.  
"Wait a minute. . . why would this make them lose our trail? Are they like tracking our scent or something?" I demanded.

"Pretty much" he said.  
"How? Humans don't have a sense of smell capable of that" I reasoned.

"They have dogs too" he informed me "They stayed back in the woods when they attacked"  
"Oh fabulous" I muttered.

"They'll lose our scent if we go through water" he told me, and then jumped into the brook.  
It wasn't _very_ deep, it was about up to his shoulder.

He swam to the other side, the current didn't affect him.  
I swallowed, and then jumped in.

The water was absoloutly freezing! It was like swimming in ice water. |  
And the current was strong too.

As I tried to swim to the other side, it began dragging me downstream.  
I struggled against it, but I was pretty weak from the jump and couldn't make it.

"Raziel!" I called "Help-"  
I was cut off by the water lapping over my head.

Oh, for the love of all that is holy. . .

The current slammed me into a rock, good.  
I clung to it, pulling my head above the water.

"A little help Raziel" I chocked.  
I looked up, but he wasn't there.

"Raziel?" I called, panicked.  
I pushed myself up higher on the rocks, trying to get a better look around.

And then I saw him swimming towards me.  
He grabbed ahold of the rock firmly.

"Thank you" I sighed.  
"No problem" he said "Now, hang on"

I nodded, and wrapped my arms around his neck.  
And he began to swim us across.

When we reached the other side, he slung me off his back.  
I collapsed onto the dirt, and sighed.

"Can we go back now?" I begged.  
"Yes, were gonna circle around that mountain over there and go back" he told me.

Teeth chattering, I nodded.  
"Okay, let's get going" I said, rising to my feet.

He shook his wet hair out, and then said "Yes, let's"  
Then he started heading in the opposite direction of the house, so we could double around.

We weren't running anymore.  
I was too cold, and wet and tired. And Raziel was probably a little worn out too.

We trudged through the woods, dripping wet.  
The sun was setting now, we were losing daylight.

After walking for about a half an hour, we were almost all the way around the mountain.  
Then, the storm clouds rolled in.

In minutes, dark ominious clouds covered the sky.  
And the wind picked up, violently. And then it began to pour.

"We have to get out of the rain!" he shouted above the wind "We need to find shelter!"  
"Follow me!" he shouted back.

He turned right and headed towards the mountain.  
I followed behind him closely, not wanting to get lost out here.

The wind whipped my wet hair violently.  
And the rain soaked my already wet clothes.

"This way!" Raziel told me.  
We were walking along the edge of the mountain now.

Then we reached a small cave in the side of the mountain.  
Thank God!

We both walked in, out of the storm.  
I leaned against the cave wall for support.

"How did that storm come so quickly?" I panted.  
A bolt of lightening lit up the sky, followed by a crack of thunder.

"I don't know" Raziel told me.  
I sighed, "Well, we could use a fire" I mumbled "Or at least I could."

I reached out of the tunnel and grabbed some sticks that had been torn down in the storm.  
Then I placed them on the middle of the floor, and conjured fire easily.

The wet wood caught fire quickly.  
Apparently, the whole 'wet wood can't burn' concept doesn't apply to magic.

I plopped down next to the fire.  
And Raziel sat across from me.

He looked extremly mystical in the glow of the fire.  
With his pale skin, dark tattoos, and wise dark eyes.

"I need to talk to my boyfreind, Austin" I told him randomly "I'm gonna use telelpathy. . .I'm gonna be completly zoned out. . .so if I look like I'm dead. . .don't worry"  
He smiled grimly, "Alright then"

I focused on Austin's mind, slipping into easily.

* * *

_The Council meeting was over, it had been over for a while.  
He wasn't at the house, and he wasn't in the limo. _

_He was in the woods, the woods behind his house.  
Wondering miserably. He was stumbling blindly in the storm. _

_He had ditched his gaurds and driver when they stopped at a red light a few miles from the house.  
He had simply gotten out in the middle of traffic, and ran. _

_He ran back to the house, and into the woods.  
Before anyone could find him or stop him. _

_The Council meeting had been God awfull.  
With the unmfortably confrence, to the painful training, to the expirements._

_It was like hell on Earth.  
His own personal hell on Earth. _

_Angrly, he pointed up and a bolt of blue lightning lit up the sky.  
Immediatly followed by a booming crack of thunder. _

_He had always had the ability to conjure horrible storms.  
It came with his strange powers. _

_Although, he used this power even less then the blue fire.  
The blue fire made him moody, but the storm conjuring made him a raving lunatic, a complete physcopath. _

_Now, the effects of storm conjuring would wear off after a while.  
But, God knows what he could do during that time, especially alone in the woods. _

_He was soaked from the buckets of rain that were coming down.  
And he was exhausted from the training exercises. Today, he had trained in physical combat. In case, he should ever find himself in a situation where the blue fire couldn't help him. _

_His arms and legs were terribly sore. He was sure he had pulled every muscle in his limbs.  
His head was spinning. But he wasn't sure if it was from physical weariness or mental weariness. _

_Miserably, he collapsed onto the forest floor.  
He rolled over onto his back and stared vacantly at the black violent sky. _

_Every so often, he caused a bolt of blue lightning.  
Just because he could. _

_Sullenly, he tilted his head to the left.  
He barely noticed that he was laying on the bank of the pond, our pond. _

_

* * *

_

I snapped myself out of Austin's head.

I was in the little cave we had taken refuge in.  
It was relativly bright and warm, a dramatic contrast to outside.

Across the fire from me, Raziel was laying back on the cave floor.  
He was absently shaving bark off a stick with his knife.

"Oh my God, Raziel" I cried "Austin's out here in the woods! He's the one 'causing the storm!"  
"I heard that Prince Austeralgo has the ability to conjure storms. . ." he said absently.

"Are you listening!?" I demanded "He's out here, in the storm! _Alone. _Not to mention, he's competly lost his mind! He's just wandering around mopeing. We have to find him!"  
I sprund up, ready to go out and find him.

"Wait!" Raziel protested, springing up "You can't, it's too dangerous for you to go by yourself!"  
"Then come with me" I suggested.

"I can't" he told me, his tone full of remorse "Nobody else can know I'm here. . ."  
"Why not?" I asked.

"It's. . .complicated. Anyway, if your hell bent on going out there. . .then at least take this" he said, untieing a band from his wrist.  
He plopped it into my hand.

I exaimined it closely. It was a thin brown leather band with intricate designs incripted on it.  
A raven, a bat, a cat, a lion, a bear, a wolf. . .

"What's this?" I wondered.  
"It's charmed" he told me "For protection. . . it should keep you safe. . .for now"

I put it on my wrist, and examined it thoughtfully.  
I decided it was pretty cool.

"Thank you" I told him wholeheartidly, giving him an unexpected hug "For everything"  
"No problem" he told me.

I pulled back, "Will I ever see you again"  
He smiled grimly, "Whether you like it or not"

I smiled, "I will. . .your a nice guy, Raziel"  
"Your not so bad either. . .maybe a little too reckless but. . ." he trailed off.

"Reckless?" I asked.  
"Most people consider going into the woods by yourself reckless" Raziel told me. He wasn't as tense as before, now that we were pretty much safe.

I laughed, "Well, I don't have time to argue right now. I have a physcotic boyfriend to rescue"  
He smiled, "Be careful"

I nodded, and ran off into the storm.


	39. Get Out Alive

The storm was extremely violent. The wind was whipping around violently. Slapping against my face. The rain was coming down in buckets, soaking me entirely.  
Every so often a bolt of blue lightning would light up the sky, followed by a deafening crack of thunder.

I could barely see because it was so dark, the storm clouds had drained the woods of light.  
I knew where I was going though. The bond told me I was getting closer to Austin. . .I just had to keep running.

It was hard to hear, with the wind and the thunder.  
But, I distinctly heard a light cracking sound. Like someone stepping on a branch.

I stopped, and looked around. It didn't do much good, though. . .  
I still couldn't see much. Just the dark outlines of trees.

"I know your here!" I shouted over the wind.  
A crack of thunder was my only response.

"Coward!" I shouted angrily.  
A bolt of blue lightning touched down some 100 feet from me.

"Some Shadow Slayers you are!" I taunted into the wind "Afraid of a little witch are you!?"  
I heard another cracking sound. . .

"If you want me, come and get me then!" I shouted desperately.  
Then the spineless Shadow Slayers finally showed themselves.

They stalked out of the cover of the trees. I could see them pretty well because of their bright scarlet clothing.  
There were three of them, two guys and a girl. The blonde girl who had tried to slit my throat.

"Look who decided to show up!" I shouted.  
I realize, of course, that I've lost my mind. But it's been a long day and I just couldn't take it anymore.

"Look who doesn't have there Dark Keeper to protect them this time" one of the men hissed in response.  
They were stalking towards me, circling me.

"I don't need _anyone _to protect me" I retorted.  
"Is that why you jumped off the cliff?" the other man hissed scornfully.

I could feel anger rising inside of me. Not only have they attempted to kill me, but now their mocking me?  
No fuckin way. . .

"Well, I'm not running away this time!" I shouted, and conjured fire.  
I lifted the fire above my head and threw it at one of the guys.

He jumped back, and the grass in front of him caught on fire.  
And then the other two swarmed in on me.

The second guy and the blonde girl both had knives.  
The guy pounced on me, his knife plunging into my shoulder.

Seething with anger and pain, I kicked him in the stomach.  
He stumbled back, the knife ripping out of my shoulder.

The other guy had recovered from the encounter with the fire, and joined in the fight.  
The blonde stalked towards me, knife in upraised hand.

The guy I had kicked came back for more as well.  
All three of them were tag teaming me.

The blonde was closest to me, she swung her knife at me. Narrowly missing my throat.  
Instinctively, I pushed air at her, pushing her several feet away.

Then I did my best to conjure darkness, blinding her.  
Her head spun around wildly, trying to find something in her own personal darkness.

The first guy plunged his knife into my arm while I was finishing off blondie.  
I screamed, and punched him in the jaw with the other arm. He stumbled back and the knife was ripped from my arm.

Then, just when I thought I had a second to catch my breath, the bigger guy grabbed me from behind.  
He hooked his arms around mine, restraining me.

I kicked and struggled relentlessly.  
I screamed. Partially in fear, and partially in anger.

Then, the second guy stalked over to me.  
His red scarf was gone, and I could see him smirking venomously at me.

He pressed the edge of his knife to my throat while the other one held me.  
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. . . I'm gonna die. . .

"So, you don't need anyone to protect you?" the guy with the knife hissed scornfully.  
"Just do it, Diego" the man behind me snarled "Quit playing with her, just finish her off!"

The guy with the knife smiled. A slow menacing smile.  
"Oh, c'mon Liam" Diego hissed "Boss told us a quick death was too good for her, anyway. Might as well have some fun"

"This isn't about fun. This is about finishing a job" Liam growled "There's no need to be cruel"  
Well, I guess if your gonna be a murderer you might as well be a humane one. . .

"I believe I'm the one with the knife here Liam" Diego retorted nastily "And I'll do this my way"  
Liam snorted "Fine, just do it already"

"Patience Liam" Diego said, smirking.  
Diego turned his dark cruel eyes back on me.

"G'night sweetheart" he taunted.  
Then, just as he was about to slit my throat, Diego's dark eyes went wide.

Blood began to trickle out of his mouth, and he collapsed onto the floor.  
Revealing Austin standing behind him.

He had a murderous expression on his face. His silver eyes were blazing with anger.  
He kneeled down and pulled his knife out of Diego's back.

Did he always carry a knife with him?

Liam tossed me aside, and I landed on the hard ground.  
I rolled over onto my back, and looked up at Liam and Austin.

They were fighting intensely, both of them had knives.  
Austin was clearly winning, he was not only stronger and faster then Liam. But a hell lot angrier.

Apparently, my darkness spell had worn off, because blondie was back in the game.  
She stalked silently towards Austin, and pounced on his back.

While Austin was distracted, Liam threw his knife on the floor.  
And then exchanged it for the wooden stake strapped to his arm.

Austin threw blondie off his back, and she landed on her ass.  
Then he stalked back towards Liam.

Austin made the first move, swinging his silver blade at Liam.  
It sliced Liam's forearm, a line of blood stained the already red shirt.

Liam swung his wooden weapon at Austin, but Austin backed up to avoid it.  
Now, Liam had him cornered against a tree.

Liam raised his wooden stake, ready to plunge it into Austin's heart.  
But, the wooden stake suddenly burst into blue flames.

Liam instinctively threw it to the ground, where it was reduced to ashes.  
Smirking savagely, Austin kicked Liam in the stomach. He stumbled back and fell onto the ground.

Austin crouched above Liam on the ground, and pulled out his knife.  
Grinning like a mad man, he placed the tip of the knife above Liam's chest.

Just as he was about to plunge it into his heart, blondie tackled him from the side.  
He knocked him off of Liam, and the two of them tumbled on the ground.

It ended with blondie above Austin, pinning him to the ground.  
Wooden stake in upraised hand.

I screamed in outrage and fear. The high pitched noise could be heard even through the wind and thunder.  
Blondie winced, and Austin took advantage of her distraction.

He kicked her in the stomach, and sent her rocketing into a tree.  
When her back made contact with the tree, she slumped to the ground.

Liam recovered then, and made a move for Austin.  
Austin smiled menacingly, revealing his extended fangs.

When Liam was close enough, Austin grabbed his wrist and flung him to the ground.  
Knife in hand, he crouched next to Liam.

He placed the tip of the blade just above his heart.  
I scrambled to my feet, and stumbled over to Austin as fast as I could.

Austin lifted the knife above his head, getting momentum to drive it into his heart.  
I grabbed his wrist as he was about to deliver the death blow.

He looked up at me. At first, his expression was angry and bloodthirsty.  
But, when he saw who it was, it faded to confusion and bewilderment.

"Becca, what are you _doing?" _he snarled in shock.  
"Don't" I begged "Don't do it. . .I _can't _let you"

"He tried to kill you" he hissed at me "I'm just returning the favor"  
His expression was pained and savage. Dirt and blood was smeared on his face, and his fangs were bared. He looked desperate to kill.

"I won't let you" I whispered.  
"You can't stop me" he growled, pulling his hand away.

Then, without looking, he plunged his knife into the ground.  
Where Liam _had_ been laying.

My eyes went immediately to the spot where blondie had been laying.  
She was gone too.

We were alone. Unless, of course, you include Diego's dead body at the edge of the clearing.  
Which I don't.

Austin snarled in fury, rising to his feet.  
I slipped out of my crouch as well.

Austin spun around to face me, silver eyes blazing.  
"Look what you've done!" he shouted furiously "You let them get away!"

"I couldn't let you kill _another _person" I whispered in a small voice.  
"They deserve to die" he hissed "They're killers! And now they've lived to hunt another day! All because of _you!"_

Austin's face was full of savage hate. An animal-like fury.  
A bolt of blue lightning lit up the sky, and thunder crashed. Accenting his rage nicely.

"Your acting like a crazy person, Austin!" I shouted back, aware that yelling at him was probably a bad idea, "I didn't want you to do something you'd regret!"  
"I'd never regret killing a scum bag like that" he snarled dispassionately.

I took a few deep breaths. Getting angry at Austin would get me nowhere.  
Right now he was mad, he was unstable, and he was dangerous. I had to handle this delicately.

"Let's just go home, okay?" I suggested "Everyone is probably worried sick about us"  
"I'm not going anywhere until that little bastard is dead" he hissed.

He stalked towards the edge of the tiny clearing, and sniffed the air.  
Fangs bared, he paced around the clearing. Sniffing the air.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.  
"Tracking. . .I'm gonna find those little scum bags and end them. . .if it's the last thing I ever do" he snarled.

"Don't you think your being a little melodramatic?" I asked.  
"Of courssse you'd ssay that. I ssshould expect as much from a witch" he hissed.

"What is that supposed to mean" I demanded, hands on hips.  
"Witches, your all such pacifists" he snarled.

"And all you vampires are so belligerent!" I retorted.  
"Well, maybe being a little aggressive could do you some good" he said coldly.

"Me? I have the perfect amount of aggression. Any more and I'll be a vicious killer like you!" I retorted.  
"Some people deserve to be killed" he said dangerously.

"C'mon Austin" I insisted "I know your upset about the Council meeting but that doesn't mean-"  
I stopped short when I saw the fire in his eyes die away.

As soon as I said the words 'Council meeting' the anger radiating out of him depleted.  
His fangs retracted, and his hostile expression faded to one of grief and despair. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Oh, Austin" I said, contrite "I'm sorry. . .I didn't mean to remind you. . ."  
"I don't wanna talk about it" he told me, wiping his eyes.

The wind slowed down, and the thunder and lightning halted completely.  
The black clouds turned an opague grey. The rain became less violent, and more steady.

"I think we should" I said, walking closer to him.  
He took a step back, away from me.

He looked so miserable, so horribly unhappy. Completely drenched from head to toe. His soaked hair was plastered to his forehead. His suit was stained with blood and mud. His arms were hanging limply at his side. He gripped the knife loosely in his hand. Blood dripped off the edge of blade. His handsome face wore a hopeless expression. His silver eyes were full of tears he would never let himself shed.

"I don't want to talk about it" he repeated, sounding more angry then upset.  
"I just wanna help" I insisted, taking a step towards him. This time, he didn't flinch back.

"I don't need your help" he said harshly.  
"Please. . .just let me try to help you" I begged.

"Fine" he snapped "It won't do any good, though"  
He sat down on the grass, pulling his knees up to his chest.

I knelt in front of him.  
I tried to hold his gaze, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I'm sorry I eavesdropped" I apologized "I shouldn't of done that"  
"Your right" he said harshly "You shouldn't of"

"I know" I sighed "But I was worried. I thought the Council was no good. . .and I was right"  
"For once" he muttered dryly.

I repressed the urge to roll my eyes. "They were worse then no good. . .they were awful. The things they did to you. . .it was horrible"  
"Try being me" he suggested dryly.

"General Odysseus was especially horrible" I continued, ignoring his comments, "I can't believe he made burn yourself when you were little"  
"Not just when I was little" he said flatly "He made me burn myself again today"

"What!?!?!" I exclaimed in outrage and disbelief.  
"They wanted to see if I my immunity went up" he said emotionlessly "It did. . .my skin didn't burn 'till 4000 degrees this time"

Then he pushed back his sleeves and showed me his wrists.  
On his right wrist was the original blue scar. It was a light teal color and spiked out like flames. On his left wrist was a nearly identical scar. Except it was much brighter, a brilliant blue.

"Oh my God" I breathed.  
"I, for one, wasn't surprised" he muttered, covering his wrists again.

"That's just horrible!" I exclaimed "How can they do this to you!? How can they be _allowed _to do this to you!?"  
Austin shrugged, although misery and rage were clear in his eyes, "This is the way it's always been"

"That's so horrible" I mumbled ". . .now, would you care to explain something to me. What's the deal with you being a prince??"  
He sighed, "The king doesn't have any children. . . when I was born he chose me to be his heir. ..it's no big deal

"Ugh, yes it is. And why didn't you tell me??" I demanded.  
He shrugged, "I never wanted to be his heir. . . and I didn't want to complicate things even more so I just kept it to myself. . "

"You should of told me" I said "I wouldn't care"  
He shrugged again, "Yea, well I didn't know. . ."

The rain began to slow, untill it was just drizzling.  
The clouds were a dull pearl now.

I nodded and said "We should probably go home now. . ."  
"Okay" he agreed, getting to my feet.

There was nothing I wanted more at that moment, then to go home.  
To curl up next to Austin and sleep.

He rose to his feet too, and I grabbed his hand.  
I allowed a small smile as we walked back towards the house.

The rain had completely stopped now, and things didn't seem so bad anymore.  
Okay, so there's an immortals somewhere who wants me dead and a bunch of human assassins after me. . .

But, I have Austin, Raziel, and an entire household of immortals to protect me.  
Once I was at the Kardigan's I'd be safe.

Even in the woods with Austin, I was safe.  
No damn humans could ever take down Austin. It wasn't possible. He'd saved me from them once already.

"You know what's funny" I said randomly "I was in the woods trying to rescue you, and you ended up rescuing me"  
He smiled, a ghost of his usual smirk, "Doesn't surprise me" he said.

I laughed, "Haha. . .real funny"  
"Mhm. . .which reminds me. . .what were you doing out here anyway?" he asked.

Lie, lie, lie, I have to lie. But. . .I don't want to lie to Austin.  
Then again, he's lied to me before. . .besides, Raziel said it was necessary. And, I owe him my life. . .

"Well, I needed a quiet place to go into your head. So, I went to our pond. But then, after you kicked me out, those guys showed up" I lied "They chased me up the mountain. . . but cornered me when I reached the top. The blonde girl had me at knife point, so I jumped off the side of the mountain. I knew I'd be okay. . .and that they wouldn't be able to follow me. Since humans can't survive a fall like that. . .So, after I recovered from the fall I started running. I wanted to find my way back. . . And then it started to pour. . . by the way, thank you for that oh so lovely thunderstorm Austin. Anyway, I took shelter from the storm and then went into your head. . .I was wondering where you were. Once I was in your head I saw your mopeing around the pond. . .So, I decided to go looking for you. Then, those - guys ambushed me. . . and well, you know the rest"

I had been careful not to use the word Shadow Slayers.  
Since, according to my story, there was no way I should know that.

"Oh. . .are you okay?" he asked.  
"I'm fine. . .who were those guys?" I asked, playing dumb.

"Shadow Slayers. . .they're humans who hunt immortals" he told me.  
"Why?" I wondered.

He shrugged, "They're under the impression that we're all devil spawns and that by killing us they're doing some huge favor for humanity. . ."  
"Wow. . .physcos. . ." I murmered absently.

"Yea" Austin agreed "They're maniacs. . ."  
"Mhm. . .Austin, what's a Dark Keeper?" I asked. I realized I was tredding in dangerous waters. . .mentioning the Dark Keepers could make Austin suspicious. . .

"Why do you ask?" he wondered.  
I shruggged, "One of the Shadow Slayers said something about them. . ."

"Well, they're a group of Arthasians who kill humans who 'pose a threat' to immortals" Austin said with a snort.  
He sounded like he was in a tunnel, my head was spinning.

Raziel was an Arthasian. . .he was one of _them. _A human hater.  
He didn't just hate humans. . . he _killed _them.

But, then again, he didn't kill innocents. He killed humans who 'posed a threat' to immortals.  
Austin had said that sarcastically but that's because he's an Azimon. He's been raised to hate Arthasians and respect humans.

I'm an unbiased party though, neither Azimon or Arthasian.  
I could view this situation better then Austin could.

Now, Raziel kills humans. . .but bad humans. Shadow Slayers. And even Austin had agreed _they_ were evil.  
If they pose a threat, then maybe they _should _be killed. Austin said it himself, some people deserve to die.

And just because Raziel is an Arthasian. . .but that doesn't mean he's evil.  
I can't just asume he's evil because of his background, that's racist.

Besides, he saved my life. He had risked his own life to save mine.  
I shouldn't judge him, I _couldn't. _

"Becca?" Austin's voice shook me out of my contemplation.  
"Uh, oh, what?" I asked, snapping out of it.

"You zoned out on me" he said.  
"Oh sorry. . .I was just thinking" I mumbled absently.

"I assumed that" he said sarcastically.  
"I see somebody is acting like less of a psychopath" I noted.

He shrugged, "Once I shut the storm off, it tends to fade quickly"  
"Good. . .phsyo Austin scares me" I teased.

"Well, physco Austin isn't nearly as scary as normal Becca" he muttered.  
I shoved him playfully.

Laughing, we broke through the trees into the Kardigan's backyard.  
Damn, I had never been so happy to be here.

"Well, this should be interesting" Austin muttered.  
I nodded in agreement as we crossed the Kardigan's yard.

As we were heading into the unlocked back door, I heard a caw behind me.  
I looked over my shoulder to see a raven perched in a tree, Raziel.

I smiled at him. I felt even safer now.  
Raziel was just so wise and strong. . .it made me feel even safer.

Austin looked over his shoulder too, just to see what I was looking at.  
He barely glanced at the raven in the tree.

He went inside, and I followed. The living room was empty.  
But I could hear frantic _loud _voices coming from the kitchen. Groaning internally, we headed for the kitchen.

The kitchen was packed with people. Mr. Kardigan, Mrs. Kardigan, Tora, the guys, Domingo, Lykaios, the driver, Kate. . .  
I was amazingly glad to see them.

I think I can say they were equally glad to see us, based on their expressions.  
All of their frazzled expressions became instantaneously elated.

"Becca!"  
"Austin!"

We were quickly swarmed by them. Kate gave me a huge hug.  
Mrs. Kardigan hugged Austin so tightly it probably hurt.

After their happiness over our return faded into their freaking out.  
Well, it's not like I can blame them. . .

"Where the hell have you been!?"  
"Why did you run away _again_!?"  
"Why were you gone all day!?"  
"Look at you! What happened!?"

"No talking" Austin muttered sleepily "Explain, morning. Sleep now"


	40. Awake And Alive

**_"Prince Of Blood"_**

"Well, alright. You two _do _look horrible. . ." Mrs. Kardigan tisked.  
"Thanks, Mom" Austin muttered "Thanks"

Mrs. Kardigan put her hands on her hips, "Bed" she ordered sternly.  
"Fine" Austin said, smirking "I'll tell you all about our near death experiences tomorrow"

"What!?" they all exclaimed simultaneously.  
"Sorry, gotta go to bed" Austin said, smirking. Then he dashed out of the kitchen.

Everyone turned to look at me expectantly.  
"Ugh, me too" I said, and darted out of the room. And then scrambled up the stairs.

When I reached the top of the stairs, Kate materialized in front of me.  
"I could get you some dry clothes" she offered.

"Yea, that would be appreciated" I mumbled, following her to her room.  
"Thats what I thought" she said "'Cause your fuckin' drenched"

"That happens when you get lost in a thunderstorm" I muttered.  
She laughed as we headed into her room. She locked the door, and then went into her closet.

"Hey, the locks fixed" I noted aloud, just noticing. Even though it had worked flawlessly at the sleepover too. . .  
"Yea" Kate called from inside her room-sized closet "Domingo fixed it after the episode at the party"

"Mhm. . .so, things between you guys are getting pretty serious" I said mischievously.  
She made a distasteful sound in the back of her throat. "We've only been dating a week" she said.

I shrugged, "So have Austin and I, and things between us are pretty serious"  
"That's different" she reasoned "You've known each other for like 10 years before that"

"Oh come off it" I said "I _know _you and Domingo had something going on before all this"  
"Well, sorta" she admitted, coming out of the closet. She threw the pile of clothes at me. A white cammy, and black pajama pants. Both of which were too big for her tiny-ness.

Then, she headed over to her pink canopy bed and flopped down on it.  
Quickly, I changed into the dry clothes. Just noticing that I only had one shoe on . . .I wonder when I lost the other one. . .

After I finished I went over to Kate's giant girly bed and layed down on my stomach.  
"Spill" I commanded.

She sighed, "Okay, so here's the deal. You know how Austin used to run away a lot?"  
I nodded and made sounds of understanding.

"Well, I knew he was going to Hades. But I never told my parents" she confessed.  
"Why??" I wondered curiously.

"Because sometimes, when I was supposed to be asleep, I would go to Hades to" she continued "I would only go when I knew Austin wasn't there, though. 'Cause I didn't want him knowing. . .I didn't want anyone knowing 'cause then they could rat me out to mom and dad. Now, Austin probably wouldn't because he was doing the same thing. . .but still. It would stress me out to think somebody else knew. Anyway, while I was there I kept a low profile, under cover you know? But, one night, I bumped into Domingo. He, of course, recognized me. And I begged him not to tell anybody he saw me. He agreed, and we started talking. Then, every time I came to Hades, I would go visit him. We were sorta-dating. It wasn't serious at all, I was only 14 you know? I think I only kissed him a few times. . . Anyway, after Austin got kidnapped by the Arthasians the first time, it was too dangerous for either of us to go to Hades anymore. So, I broke it off with Domingo. . . and I didn't see him again 'till I went lookin' for you and Austin. I pretended we were just friends so Austin wouldn't know. . ."

"Forbidden love" I teased.  
She shoved me playfully, and we both laughed.

"We haven't done this enough lately" I mused thoughtfully.  
"What?" she wondered.

"Stay up late and talk about boys. . .it's been a while" I explained.  
"Well, yea. That's because every time your over here your getting it on with my brother" she said, and then made a disgusted face.

I shoved her, "We're not doing it" I told her.  
"Oh, I know" she said, grinning "I just like to tease you"

I rolled my eyes at her, "So have you and Domingo?" I asked mischievously.  
"Have we what?" she asked innocently.

"Hooked up" I supplied, with an eye roll.  
"Becca!" she exclaimed in shock "I can't tell you that! It's private. . ."

"Oh, you two so did it" I said with a smirk. Her reluctance to tell me was a dead give-away.  
"Tell anyone and I'll beat you with a stick" she threatened.

"Okay, okay. No worries. I won't tell" I promised "So, how'd you do it?"  
"Ugh. . . . .I'm really not comfortable answering that" she said "Maybe you should ask Austin. . .he'd be more then happy to show you. . ."

I smacked her with a pink fluffy pillow, "That's not what I meant you sicko. I _meant _how did you find a private place in a house of 10 people"  
"Ohhhhhhhhhh" she said, understanding "That was simple. We have a van, duh"

I shuddered, "Never going in there again" I muttered.  
"Yea, that's probably a good idea. . ." she mused.

"So, was it more then once?" I wondered. Aware that this was a messed-up conversation.  
She shrugged, "A few times" she mumbled, hugging a fluffy pillow to her chest.

"Interesting" I said in a mildly creepy voice. Stroking the fluffy pillow in my arms like an evil mastermind would a fat white cat.  
She shoved me, "Your such a freak"

"I'm a freak-aholic" I told her.  
We both randomly burst out laughing. . .because, well, we're just that weird.

"Maybe I should sign you up for FA" she joked "Freaks Anonymous"  
"That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard" I told her, still laughing.

I was still giggling when I noticed Buffy sleeping on one of Kate's pillow. Buffy is Austin's ferret. He's a white albino ferret with little red eyes. His name is supposed to be ironic. You know, _Buffy The Vampire Slayer? _Because he has white fur, little fangs, and red eyes. Kinda your classic vampire. And then Buffy is a vampire slayer. . .you see? Irony. Well, now that I knew Austin and his family where vampires. . .it was even more ironic. . .It was even weirder because _I _had come up with the name in 7th grade when Austin got Buffy. . . back before I knew they were vampires. . .very weird.

"Kate? What is Buffy doing in here?" I asked.  
She shrugged, "I took him out to play. . . but he feel asleep"

I rolled my eyes, "Ferrets sleep 18 hours a day, Kate" I told her matter-o-factly.  
Wow, I really am turning into quiet the animal-expert.

"Well, he was awake when I took him out. I assumed it was his 6 hours of activness" she said with another shrug.  
"Well, you better put him back. Austin will be pissed if he sees that he's gone" I told her.

Until I knew that Austin loved me, I would've sworn Buffy was the only living thing Austin _really _cared about.  
Buffy was a pretty spoiled ferret. He had one of those cages that were several feet high, with little staircases. And a hanging bed, and toys, and treats. . .yea, a pretty sweet deal.

"Nah" she said dismissevly "He's probably sleeping. . .I'll put him in a little while and Austin will never know"  
"Speaking of sleeping. . .I'm exshausted. Can we go to sleep?" I asked.

"Sure. . .but put Buffy away first" she told me, picking up Buffy.  
As she passed him to me, he began to stir. His little red eyes opened and he tittered unhappily at me.

I put Buffy on my shoulder like a bird, and he put his little front-feet on my head. So he could look around.  
I was used to carrying Buffy around. Austin, Kate, and I were the only people Buffy _didn't _bite.

I slid off the bed and headed to the door.  
With Buffy on my shoulder, I headed down the hall to Austin's room.

I was thankful that I didn't run into anyone in the hallway.  
Especially Jupiter, Mars, or Diego. I didn't need them thinking that I was sneaking into Austin's room in the middle of the night. Nope, didn't need that.

So, I walked down the hallway uninterupted, and to Austin's room.  
The door was closed but unlocked, so I went right in. It was pitch black inside, so I felt along the wall for a switch.

After finding it, I threw on the lights so I could see. The first thing I saw was Austin, lieing in his bed.  
His eyes were open and he was starring at me with an annoyed, sleepy expression.

"I thought you were asleep" I said in a disapproving tone.  
Oh dear lord I sound like his mother . . . I gotta stop doing that.

"I was" he muttered, rubbing his eyes sleepily "You woke me up. You know I can't sleep with the lights on. Vamp, member?"  
"Oops sorry" I apologized "I forgot. I just came to put Buffy back in his cage."

"What are you doing with him anyway?" he asked, seeming irritated.  
"Kate took him out earlier, and he fell asleep on her bed. We were just about to go to sleep, so I brought him back" I explained.

"Oh, well put him back in his cage" he mumbled.  
"Alright" I said, walking over to Buffy's cage by the wall.

I knelt next to the large cage, and placed Buffy on the floor next to me. As I tried to unlock the unnecessarily difficult lock, Buffy decided to go play. He ran across the floor towards Austin's sterio. Taking my attention away from the lock, I snagged Buffy's thin lean body. As he squirmed I placed him on my lap, so I could go back to work with the latch. But, as soon as I put him down, he took off again. Ugh, the little devil could've played with Kate for hours but slept instead. Now, he wants to play? Come on. . . I turned my attention away from the lock, once again, and tried to catch Buffy. I heard Austin groan and looked to see him get up from his bed.

He had exchanged his drenched suit for plaid pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt. He hadn't even bothered to try and conceal the blue scars on his wrists.  
Seeing my struggles, he walked over to Buffy. He knelt down and lifted Buffy off the ground.

He held Buffy to his chest and came over to the cage.  
Buffy didn't fight Austin like he did me.

He motioned for me to move over and I did.  
Then he undid the latch with one hand, and secured Buffy to his chest with the other.

Once the cage was open, he put Buffy inside. Once inside, Buffy ran up the little stairs to his hanging bed.  
Then jumped in immediately and probably went to sleep. Then Austin closed the cage latch.

I huffed, "Why does he cooperate for you?" I whined.  
He was still facing the cage, so I was viewing his profile. And I could see a hint of a smirk.

"Because he's my pet" Austin explained, turning to face me "And-"  
He stopped abtruly and stared at my arm. I looked down to see what he was freaking out about, and saw two nasty wounds.

On my shoulder was a deep gash from one of the knives. On the crease inside of my elbow, was another gash. It wasn't deep like the other, but long instead.  
Thanks to the white tank-top Katie had given me. The gashes were extremely noticeable on my lightly tanned skin. It was a wonder Kate hadn't noticed. . .

"Oh my God" he exclaimed, moving closer to me, "Are you alright!?"  
He knelt next to me, touching my arm like a doctor's examination. He felt along the edges of the cuts, he was careful not to touch them though.

"I'm fine" I insisted, they actually didn't hurt, "Seriously, I'm fine Austin."  
"Are you crazy??" he demanded "You were _stabbed! _Multiple times!"

"And you got a third degree burn" I countered.  
"That's different" he muttered.

"Yea, it's worse" I retorted, annoyed. He was allowed to fawn over me when I was hurt, but I wasn't allowed to fawn over him when he was hurt? Unacceptable.  
"Whatever. C'mon, I got clean these cuts. There gonna get infected" he said, getting up. He kept his hands on my arms, partially helping me up.

"I'm an immortal" I mumbled, rolling my eyes "If I get an infection it's not a big deal"  
"Your half human" he said, leading me to the bathroom by my arm "That makes you only half-immortal"

"Half-immortal is better then nothing" I mumbled as he led me to the sink.  
"All it means is that you can't die of old age or disease. . .you could still get sick from an infection. . . thanks to the human side" Austin explained, reaching into the medicine cabinet.

"Are there a lot of . . .half-human, half-immortals?" I wondered as he took out some kind of cream.  
"Not a lot, no. Certain types of immortals can't even breed with humans. Like vampires, werewolfs, and wish granters. Witches, pixies, and shape-shifters can however" he said.

He took a white cloth off the golden towel ring. He placed it under running water, and then wrung it out. He took the damp cloth and gently pressed it to the rim of the cut on the inside of my arm. The cloth cleaned off the blood and dirt around it easily. Then, he wiped the blood and dirt off the rim of the gash on my shoulder.

"But, witches, pixies, and shapeshifters can" he continued, while cleaning the cuts, "It's not very common though, people don't wanna end up with half-breed children"  
He gave me an apologetic smile as he opened the bottle of cream.

"So usually the only ones who. . .get involved with humans are the ones who _can't _reproduce with them" he told me, squirting some of the cream onto his finger.  
He rubbed the cream around the edges of the cut. It seeped a little into the cut, and stung. It must be that damn anti-bacterial cream stuff that burns like hell.

I winced a little at the burning. It was so not a tingle like the label said! It was a fuckin' burn!  
"Sorry, sorry" Austin apologized "I just don't want it to get infected"

"I know, I know" I mumbled absently. The burn wasn't that painful but still annoying. He was allowed to be overly-protective but I wasn't? I'll retaliate somehow. . .  
He moved his hands to smear white cream into the gash on my shoulder. Then he threw open the top drawer.

He dug around and pulled out a box with giant band-aids in it. He took one out, and peeled off the white paper.  
Then he gingerly placed it on the cut on the inside of my arm. The long one that wasn't as deep.

He smoothed his hand over the band-aid to keep it in place.  
Then, he dug back around in the drawer and pulled out white bandage. The white kind that you wrap around major injuries.

Austin pulled out the roll of white bandages, and unwound some.  
He cut the piece off with his teeth. Then, he took the piece and wrapped it around the cut on my shoulder. He wound it around a few times then secured with some little metal thing.

"Okay. . .I think it's good" he said thoughtfully, as if he was unsure of what he was saying.  
I sighed dramatically, "It's perfectly fine" I told him.

"I'm just careful. . ." he mumbled.  
"Well, so am I" I said "Now, let me see your wrist"

"Oh, c'mon" he complained "It's fine."  
"You burned your skin at _4000 degrees_" I argued "We both know it's not fine"

"Well, there's nothing you could do anyway. . . it's a burn. . ." he told me.  
"At least me see it" I insisted.

"Not now. . .I want to go back to sleep" he muttered grumpily "I'm tired. . .I'll see you in the morning"  
He stalked out of the bathroom, and I heard his door slam.

Now, I'm not really good at letting people have there space. Never have, never will.  
I can be kind of pushy, especially when somebody is upset.

I stomped after him, and banged on his door angrily.  
"Can't get 'rid of me that easily!" I shouted.

His door opened a second later, revealing an angry looking Austin.  
"What?" he snarled irritably.

"Your cranky when your tired" I teased "Want me to sing you a lullaby and tuck you in?"  
He growled at me, "What do you want anyway?"

"I don't feel like sleeping in Kate's room and listening to her babble all night long. . .can I sleep in here?" I asked, batting my eyelashes innocently.  
His surprise broke through his angry mask, "Really?"

"Yea" I said, leaning closer to him.  
"Well, alright" he agreed, moving aside to let me in.

I waltzed in, and Austin shut the door behind me.  
The bed looked extremely warm and inviting.

I wandered over to the bed, and plopped down.  
Austin came over and motioned for me to move over.

I conceded, and rolled over to make room for Austin.  
He layed down and pulled the green blankets over us.

Then Austin reached for the second light switch above his bed.  
Once he flicked it off, it became pitch black.

I rolled over onto my side and Austin threw his arm over me.  
Smiling to myself, I snuggled closer to him.

I felt warm and safe, sleeping next to Austin under thick warm blankets.  
It wouldn't take long for me to fall asleep here.

Sure, a bunch of assassins are after me . . . trying to kill me.  
And there was somebody out there, a powerful immortal I would guess, who wanted me dead. _And _thought a quick death was too good for me.

But, for now, I couldn't think about that. For whatever reason.  
Maybe because I was with Austin, and whenever I'm with him it's like all my negative thoughts melt away. Like all the negative things in my life just. . . melt away.

We were a good couple. . .strange but good.  
A couple of teenagers who are both stubborn and sarcastic . . . but were both abnormal immortals.

I was a half-breed witch. Half-human, and half-witch. One who had never known she was a witch, and was an oddly fast learner of magic.  
And Austin was a prophesied vampire with extraordinary powers. Who was also a vampire prince of the ancient underground chain of cities known as the Azimon.

A witch and a prince. A vampire prince.  
Who was ruled by blood, and a ruler of blood.

A true prince of blood.

* * *

**It's over, sniff, sniff, sniff. But never fear! The sequel will b up very soon! Like tomorow hopefully. It's called "Blood Lines." I'd like 2 thnx Jazper1843Hale, for posting pics on her profile 4 me since mine is retarted. And 4 being a beta wenever i needed it! I'd also like 2 thank iluvedward4ever, my new beta! I'd of course like 2 thank all my readers n reviewers. U guyz r great! I love reading ur reviews! They make me soooo happy!! And can u guys do me one huge favor? Since it's the last chapter of this story, cud the readers who never review (ik sometimes i cant b bothered either) leave me a review?? It wud make me soooooo unimaginably happy! Just 2 c wat some of u other guys thought of the story. U don't gotta write a novel, just a few sentence blurb of whether it was good or bad. Plz? Anyway, thnx u all 4 reading n hope u guys keep with me 'till the sequel! :)**


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